Black Roses
by SirenLuna
Summary: What if Rose lost her battle against Strigoi Dimitri and was turned Strigoi herself. With their enhanced senses, lust for blood and each other; would they conquer the world or crash and burn? Either way, it's going to be one hell of a ride! It's good to be bad! This is an updated version of one I took down previously. Please comment, fave and/or follow! Hope you all like it!
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

If you were to look up the word Strigoi, the definition would read: the troubled souls of the dead rising from the grave. Strigoi are also known as immortal vampires. Sadly half of that definition is very true and one of those creatures of the night happened to be standing over me right now. I was ready to die, I had accepted my death but he would have none of that. No, he most certainly would not. In his eyes we belonged together. Playing for the same team.

By the way, my name is Rose Hathaway. I'm 18 years old and, until recently, I attended a special private boarding school called St Vladimir's. There, others like me trained to fight a race of ancient evil vampires called Strigoi, _just incase you questioned the vocabulary lesson I started off with_. My kind are known as Dhampir's. Also part of the student body of good old St Vlad's, are a race of good vampires knows as Moroi. Long store short, they are everything Stigoi aren't. They don't kill, they eat normal food, contain elemental magic, and they don't have too much of a problem with sunlight, though it does drain them if they are exposed to it for long enough. The only thing they have in common with Strigoi is they also need blood to survive. But like I said, Moroi do not kill. We Dhampir's, are born to protect Moroi from harm. We are told from our first moment's one phrase that we live by, 'they come first.'

Guess I'm kind of a shitty Dhampir since I completely turned my back on that rule when I abandoned my best friend Lissa, a Moroi Princess, to hunt down the man I love and kill him. Sounds twisted I know. But that's only because I haven't filled you in on this piece of information. The man I love, the man I lost my virginity to, Dimitri Belikov was forcibly turned into a Strigoi and disappeared to the wilderness know as Eastern Europe.

On my 18th birthday I signed myself out of school and began my quest to find him. When I did however, things didn't go as I had planned. Rather than fulfill my vow, I hesitated and lost my battle. Dimitri then held me captive for what felt like a lifetime. All in the hope that he could convince me to willingly turn Strigoi and be with him. I came close to giving in, my love for the man he once was holding so much weight it broke my heart every day. But I knew I couldn't do it. I couldn't choose to be an evil creature of the night. More over, I couldn't let him live as one either. In a conversation we had once, long before all of this, he told me he would rather die than live as one of those things.

Fast forward to today, right now, this very second. Dimitri stood over me looking down at my dazed and bloody body. I wasn't dead yet but trust me, it wasn't for a lack of trying on my part. Just a moment ago I stood on the edge of the very bridge I was laying on now, ready to jump. If I couldn't end up killing him, I could at least kill myself and end his mission to turn me. One small victory I supposed. If he saved me, which I was counting on, I had my silver stake ready so when he pulled my back from my attempted death drop, I could drive it into his heart and finish what I started so long ago.

Things didn't work out that way though. As I was about to stab him with my stake, his Strigoi reflexes quickly dodged my strike and slammed me on the ground. My head bounced on the concrete. Strangely the first thing that came to my mind was my elementary school defense instructor who taught us to tuck our chins to our chests when we fell so we wouldn't hit the back of our heads thus preventing concussions. Yet another lesson I ignored on this mission. I heard the distinct sound of bones breaking upon impact. I began to taste blood in my mouth. Breathing was impossible as I choked on more and more blood in my attempts for air. I may have not been the best in anatomy class but I'm pretty sure a slam to the ground like that, from a Strigoi like Dimitri would be somewhere equal to falling off a 6-story building. Not likely fatal, but if not, paralyzing at the very least.

My vision was blurry but I could see Dimitri's form getting closer and closer to my face. Then the world went black. The blackness wasn't the usual fading one would experience with being knocked out. This was deeper, more agonizing and it was tinted with red. Actually it wasn't black at all. It was completely red. Consuming red. It was also warm, like slipping into a warm bath. I had never felt anything so soothing. The endorphins here were 1,000 times what I felt with the feedings Dimitri took during my time in captivity. This was like a vampire bight + a bar of chocolate + the best orgasm ever all in one! I didn't know what was happening but if this could be transformed into a pill, drug dealers could probably dominate countries with it!

I completely forgot the world. Where was I? What was happening? Who was I? Simple questions I once knew the answers to. Now they were lost to me like bubbles being popped by this amazing high. Rosemarie Hathaway, Novice Guardian, High School Dropout, a girl in love with a dead man, a girl on a quest to lay his soul to rest was no more. No, that girl wasn't here anymore and would never be here again.

CHAPTER 1

My eyes opened and the red tint faded away. It morphed into a dull flat off white color. As my eyes began to wander I realized I was looking at a ceiling. The vast whiteness was broken up by tiny cracks. The cracks were evident of the ceiling's age. In the center I saw a chandelier. It must have been an antique. The brass had dulled long ago and there were tiny cobwebs in the corners where twisted metal met twisted metal forming the intricate design. It had been cleaned recently but who ever had done it couldn't reach those small tight corners. It wasn't completely lost on me that before the darkness took hold of me, I would have never been able to see these tiny details, even with my enhanced Dhampir senses. No, clearly something had changed. I knew I was lying down. The softness surrounding me told me the bed and sheets were fresh. I moved ever so slightly and felt a lovely sliding of fabric that covered my midsection from my back to just below my behind. _'Silk'_ I thought to my self. I was wearing silk. Was I wearing silk earlier? How much time had gone by?

A sound came from my right. Someone had stood up from a near by chair and was making their way to me. Before they had a chance to take another step I sprang out of the bed, throwing the blankets in that direction. Whatever was going on, I figured the blankets would buy me half a second of thinking time to better assess my situation. There were two windows that looked to lead to a balcony but they were both locked. Thinking there wasn't a large enough time frame to grab something heavy to break the glass I turned and braced myself against the narrow wall that separated the tow balcony doors. I was prepared to face my visitor with a lethal dose of kick-assery. Then I saw who had been in the room with me, Dimitri. The first time we met in Russia I hesitated and failed to kill him. I wouldn't make that mistake again. He was going down, I would end him here and now and I would love every moment of it! _Wow, where did that come from?_ I thought. But it was true. I wanted to kill him. Not because of any blood bound vow, but because I craved the violence. I flew at him.

He caught ahold of my left arm and forced it over his right shoulder while at the same time taking control of my right arm and slamming me back into the narrow wall space. It was a classic _Under / Over_ hold. Not a submission move. It was a move meant to gain control of an opponent.

"Don't fight me Rose" he whispered in my ear. His voice was a mixture of ice and endearment with a hint on condescendence. It infuriated me but turned me on at the same time. Damn him!

Refusing to give in I quickly forced my left arm down in between our bodies to break his hold. In the blink of an eye he stepped to his left turning his body slightly away from me and threw his left leg in front of both my legs. One twist of the waist was all it took. He used his hips to throw me to the floor and pinned me. Legs on either side of me and both wrists held to the ground in a death grip. Fucking Jujitsu! It was the St Vladimir gym all over again.

"Stop this Roza! You don't want to fight me my love."

I froze. What the hell did he just call me? Did he just say _my love_? My memories of the last few weeks were hazy but I clearly remember him never using the word _love_ in all that time. He noticed the change in my demeanor and spoke again.

"I'm going to let you go now, if you fight me again I will hold you down again and I wont be gentle. You're body can take much more force now than it could before."

What was he talking about? Slowly he let go of my wrists and sat upright, still pinning me with his legs on either side of my hips. I touched my wrists, he was right. The strength he used to hold them down should have crushed them. I should be in massive amounts of pain right now. Shouldn't I? But no, my wrists weren't broken they didn't even hurt. I spoke for the first time "What is this? Why aren't I dead?"

"Did you really think I would let you die?"

A question answered with a question. This was doing nothing for my vicious mood. I guessed he could tell that whatever patience I had, if any, was about to go out the window. So he told me straight.

"I've Awakened you Roza"

 _We have just lost cabin pressure._ No, he was lying. He had to be. Some part of me wanted to be appalled. I should have been disgusted. But I wasn't, I was awestruck. " I'm a… we're both…" my brain couldn't wrap itself around the word, so he said it for me. "…Strigoi" his thick Russian accent sounded like velvet saying the word. I realized then that for the first time in my life the word didn't inspire a negative reaction. Curiously, I slid my tongue over my k-9's and felt that they were longer than I remembered. The teeth were smooth and came to fine points. Sharp points that could rip thoughts open and allow fresh blood to flow into my mouth. A moan escaped me at the thought. I caught myself and looked back up at Dimitri. A Sinister smile graced his face. "Thirsty?" he asked darkly. I kept eye contact with him and nodded slowly.

He stood up and walked to the door. His 6'7" form was every bit as muscular as I remembered. His long hair was tied in a ponytail. Why the hell did he have to be so yummy? It just wasn't fair.

He reached the door and opened it. Surprisingly it was unlocked. A stark contrast to the room in which he previously held me. That room was kept locked and required two digital combinations to get out. A young man came in and sat in one of the two armchairs in front of the bed. Dimitri sat in the other facing the young man. One intake of breath told me he was human. Dimitri said nothing. He didn't have to. Even as a Strigoi, Dimitri and I were able to understand each other perfectly without mindless chatter. The young man was forcing back a smile. He was excited. Did he expect I would turn him? I remembered there were humans who worked for the Strigoi in the hope that their servitude would lead to their being turned.

Tilting my head I studied him. He looked me up and down clearly liking what he saw and exposed his neck to me. I looked back at Dimitri who gave the slightest of nods. I didn't even notice that I was now standing over the human. His sent was divine, so much so that it made me light headed.

The shape of the chair didn't leave much room for a modest feeding position so I straddled the young man's lap. The silk fabric I felt earlier was in the form of a deep red nightgown with a black lace trim that ran along the hem I examined it as it slid up my thighs. It black lace was also along my cleavage. That's where the human was looking. He eyed my bust line and looked to be on the verge of drooling. I felt his hands rest on my thighs with the intent of sliding the nightie higher. A deep growl from Dimitri halted the young man's attempt.

"You don't touch her!" he commanded in Russian. Before my Awakening I could have maybe identified one or 2 words. Now I understood him perfectly. My mind was so clear I could remember every phrase in my little Russian language book plus more from all the time I spent around Dimitri's family. Just like that, I found I would be able to understand and speak Russian.

My attention went back to the task at hand. Had I been human I would have been shaking in fear of the monster's voice. I turned my head to Dimitri but I did not fear him. I honestly was excited by his reaction. _Jealous ay?_ I thought. I could have some fun with that. But maybe this wasn't the time. Besides, I was starving! I turned my attention back to the human sitting beneath me. His admiration for me turned into fear. He became a sniveling little insect. One I would be too glad to squish. _He would make a terrible Strigoi,_ voice in my head whistered. I didn't know if Dimitri had intended to turn him but at that moment I didn't care. Less than a heart beat went by and I plunged my new fangs into the young man's jugular.

 _Oh…My…God… What the hell have I been doing with my life until now?_

The taste of the pathetic human's blood was beyond anything my mouth knew could exist. I felt a tingling sensation run up my spine. It was Dimitri's fingertips grazing my skin. He was letting me know he was pleased with me. That only added to this outer body experience. One of my hands held the human's head while the other squeezed the side of his throat, massaging it blood into my mouth. Dimitri was no longer touching my back. He was on his knees kissing the exposed skin between my shoulders and slowly slid the spaghetti straps of the nightie off. The human's body went limp. He was dead. Drops of blood ran down my mouth and between my breasts, which were rapidly rising and falling with my heavy breathing.

I looked up into Dimitri's beautiful red eyes. He was standing over us now. The look on his face was one of pride. Then something changed. Dimitri's hand grabbed my throat and lightly squeezed it making breathing slightly difficult. The look on his face was fierce. Then he kissed me. It was hard and possessive and amazing. The human's blood mixed with the taste of Dimitri's tongue as we kissed. Violently I ripped his shirt open. His skin was a pure smooth white. His bulging muscles were firm, hairless and warm. Warm? Oh ya! That's right, we were the same temperature now.

He hadn't let my throat go when he broke the kiss and spoke. "First rule Roza, you are mine. If I ever see another man's hands on you I will kill him in the most brutal way I can think"

He kissed me again. We were against the wall and he slammed me into the plaster still holding my throat. I didn't mind. It was kind of… seriously….hot! "Second rule, if you betray me, I will slit your lovely throat and watch you bleed" His thumb gently traced a line across my windpipe simulating how he would cut me. I chuckled "Nice rule Comrade, but slitting my throat wont kill me now. Not unless you plan on taking my head off completely" Our kisses were getting more and more hungry. "Who said anything about killing you Rose? Slitting your throat would be your punishment. I told you, it would take a lot to make me kill you" I smiled "How romantic, what's rule #3?" Dimitri reached down and opened his pants. I didn't have time to blink before he released my throat, wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled my panties to the side. "Rule number 3: I get to have you whenever, where ever and how ever I say at any given moment." He held himself just at the entrance of my very wet and very needy lower half and stood there. Our eyes at equal level given that he had lifted me up in order to reach this position. And there he stopped. He didn't pull back but he didn't go any further either. He began to teasingly stroke me with the tip of his very large manhood. I was ready to explode!

It became clear that he wouldn't fuck me unless I gave him a total agreement to his 3 rules. I didn't have a problem with any of them. To be honest each one turned me on more than the next. He was still my Dimitri. A leader who took charge and made his moves with no apologies. A real man when all I knew before him were boys. But that was no reason not to take advantage of this fucked up business meeting and add a condition of my own. I mean being that we were making things clear. "Under one condition Comrade," He looked inquisitive and a little bit impatient, but that was to be expected considering our position. "You have to follow the same 3 rules lover. I will kill any bitch that touched you, I'll slit your throat if you screw me over and I can have you wherever, whenever and however I want. Deal?"

He plunged himself inside me. It hurt a little but the pleasure totally outweighed the pain. Actually the pain was pleasurable too. "That's my girl. Fire, fury, we are even more perfect for each other as Strigoi than as Dhampir. " He spoke between thrusts. A strange urge came over me and I slapped him across the face. He growled and thrust harder. This made me smile. Taking that as a challenge he held me tighter and slammed me against the wall harder than before. God this was sick! The old Rose would have been mortified! But this Rose couldn't get enough. I met Dimitri's eyes and grabbed his face under his chin. "I'm yours and you're mine, for eternity." Still thrusting he said the words my dark heart yearned to hear. "For eternity my Roza, I vow to love you for eternity."

Twisted as this was. It was the most intense, romantic, passionate moment I have ever had. "I love you too Dimitri. I always have and always will"

After spending an obscene amount of time marking every surface in the room, ( _The wall, the wall, the floor, the wall, night table, bookshelf, the wall, foot of the bed, then finally the bed itself_ ) Dimitri and I held each other, completely sated. _At least for now._ As Strigoi we wouldn't need sleep ever again. That didn't change the fact that it was nice laying in each other's arms reveling in bliss. My head rested on his chest listening to his heartbeat when he spoke. "I'm so glad I didn't take you before Awakening you. It would have been nothing compared to this."

Pardon me? Oh no, no, no. My snarky personality couldn't let him get away with that comment. "Are you saying sex with me would have been disappointing?" A smile turned up half of his mouth. "Disappointing… no, restricted… very. There's no way you would have been able to come out of that unscathed as Dhampir." My eyes drifted to the cracked and dented plaster that used to be the wall separating the two balcony glass doors. "Touché lover." A moment of silence passed then I asked, "So what now Comrade? I know you have to have a plan for us now that I've been Awakened."

My mind went in so many directions. I was hoping for a plan that involved adventure, danger, blood and gore, fire and brimstone. A plan that would make us into the Strigoi equivalent of Bonnie and Clyde. My heart began to race and the infinite possibilities. Dimitri and Rose, deadly and sexy. Of all the ideas floating in my head, nothing could have prepared me for his next words.

"What comes next Roza, is we get married."

"We what?" I froze. Resisting the urge to slap him again. What was he talking about?

"We will get married. Then, and only then, will I reveal my plan to you." He got out of bed and got down on one knee, taking both my hands as I shifted so my legs were hanging off the edge of the bed before him. "A King needs his Queen, and I will have no other Queen but you Rose. What I have planned for us will go beyond poorly planned attacks on High Schools. I will take us to the very top of the food chain. Nothing will stop us. Make me the happiest man in the world. Marry me, love me and rule with me."

Most girl's dream of the day the man they love gets down on one knee and pledges his love and devotion to them. They dream of hearts and flowers and happily every after. Those were all things I never thought would be in my future until now. Dimitri was proposing! His proposal wasn't the gushy nonsense most girls pictured. I couldn't be happier! As a Strigoi the thought of all that mush made me gag. Dimitri was promising me the world! And unlike any other man, I knew he could deliver it. Before I was Awakened, I had noticed when he spoke to me about our future together his tone had been calculated. I realize now that he wasn't being cold to me. It was his ambition speaking. He still loved me; he had never stopped loving me. But now he had priorities beyond keeping some pansy Moroi Royal safe from harm. He wanted the best for us. I was suddenly glad he hadn't said the words 'I love you" before my Awakening. My Dhampir brain wouldn't have been able to understand the kind of love Dimitri felt for me. It was the same true love we began months ago, but now it was fuller. It was completely dedicated to our life together. To the power we could share. It had a more important meaning now.

 _Two against the world._

I looked into his eyes, reading his anticipation, loving the power I held in prolonging his agony for my response. Then I said it…

"Yes,"

He was on me then, kissing and touching my body. His hands were everywhere and his lips everywhere else. This was different from how we ravaged each other earlier. It reminded me of the cabin when I had lost my virginity to him. Only this was better. This time, he was all mine and I was all his. Both of us were naked and breathing heavily. Our clothing had been scattered about the room. Well, more like his clothing was scattered about the room. My red and black silk nightie was in shreds along with the black thong I'd been wearing.

He pulled back a looked down at me. His red eyes full of passion. This man, this vampire wanted to take over the world with me by his side. He was beautiful. His long dark hair fell around his face making him look feral. I almost couldn't take how sexy he was right then. I dared to ask, "What if I would have said no?" he made three tisking sounds with his tongue and whispered devilishly. "That Roza, would have been such a waste." My heart pounded! How could he get even sexier! This darkness we shared was addicting! All thoughts of my old friends, his family, my mom had faded away. All there was in the world was he and I.

"When will we get married? I doubt we'll be booking a church or a priest anytime soon." I spoke between his earth shattering kisses. "Right now Roza. We are getting married right now." He left me then. I began to protest until I saw him reach over to the night table and opened the top drawer retrieving and dagger and two small boxes. It didn't take long for me to see the dagger was silver. And even less time to feel the power radiating from it. I slid back to the end of the bed prepared to run. He was going to kill me? What did I miss?

He placed the dagger on the bed and held up both his hands. "Its not what you think Roza." He opened the two boxes. In them were two identical rings. The rings were pewter; the design was of a two-headed dragon. Their mouths held large beautifully cut garnets. They were stunning. Their only difference was one ring was much bigger than the other. Dragons… I thought of Lissa's family crest. "Why dragons?" I asked. His eyes were so focused I was sure a bomb could go off and he wouldn't flinch. "The dragon is part of our future Roza. Not because of Lissa, the last child of a dead royal line means nothing to us. These dragons represent something much grander."

Ok, so, he sold me on the rings. But that still didn't explain the silver dagger. Our connection didn't falter. He pointed at the dagger and began.

"We will use this dagger to make cuts on our left hands, over our hearts and the right side of our necks. Our blood will mix in our hands and hearts while we make love and drink from each other's throats. While we orgasm together we pledge our vow to each other. Then we will be one, forever.

 _Ho-Ly Shit…_


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

I stared at Dimitri, mouth agape. "That could very well be the most fucked up thing I have every heard of." I said dryly. He couldn't be serious. That's how Strigoi got married? "Strigoi's don't feed off other Strigoi's. And the silver? The pain must be excruciating." Utterly repulsed by the idea of allowing myself to be cut by a silver dagger, I glared at my beloved. He had to have been making this up. Either that or he has been fed some seriously wrong information. But then again, Dimitri wasn't a fool. So I gave him the benefit of the doubt and held my questioning long enough for him to explain.

"Roza, I would never mislead you. Silver is harmful to us because of the magic infused in it; Moroi elemental magic. This dagger is infused with the magic that flows through our kind. The stuff that makes our kind superior to any other inhabitant of this world. Objects such as this are very rare and knowledge of this power is even more rare.

Dimitri's use of the word ' _stuff'_ aside, I was bewildered. How could that kind of power find its way into this dagger? Moroi turned Strigoi lose their connection to magic upon their Awakening. There was no way for a Strigoi to infuse silver. The expression on my face must have spoken volumes because he answered my thoughts without my uttering a word. He continued, "The dagger became infused through a Moroi Spirit user who was captured by one of Galina's men. She held him captive for 2 years. During that time, she forced him to share everything he knew about Spirit and tortured him into discovering more that he thought possible. How to tie two Strigoi lovers together was one of those things."

"The dagger is infused with black magic? How did you learn all of this?" I asked.

He smiled his genuine smile. The one I thought I'd never see on his beautiful face again when I first began the journey that ultimately brought us back together. My closed minded Dhampir former self thought Dimitri would be a full-blown monster. Incapable of holding onto any part of the man I'd fallen in love with. How wrong I was! That heart-stopping smile remained on his lips as and he came closer to me and cupped my face. Looking upon me lovingly, he continued.

"When I learned you were in Novosibirsk looking for me, I went to Galina and told her about you. About who you were to me before I was Awakened and how much you still meant to me. I told her about all the training I put you through and convinced her you would be an excellent addition to her guard. That the two of us together would make her unbeatable in battle." His fingers slid past my face and into my hair pulling me closer till he could lightly kiss my lips. "She was a smart woman. She made a judgment call and shared this information with me. She said if I Awoke you she would allow me to use the dagger so we could bind ourselves to each other. It's more than just a marriage Roza. We will share one mind and one heart. I will be able to feel you presence inside me. It will be the same for you. Our thoughts, feelings, desires; everything will be open for us to sense." He paused and rested his forehead against mine and let out a deep sigh. "This magic however, does come with a price. It's the only reason Galina was willing to take such a risk in offering it." He looked deep into my eyes then. "Becoming one mind and one heart means becoming one life. If one of us were to be killed, the other would die as well. There is no turning back once we do this. No way to change your mind later on. I want this with you Roza. But you have to make this choice. So I will ask you again. Will you be my bride?"

I felt drunk. How was it possible for my world to be rocked so many times in less than a few hours? My head was spinning. Did I really want this? To be bound in such a way to Dimitri? Before my Awakening, I was bound in a different way to my then friend Lissa. That bond had since been shattered but prior to all this; my bond with her went only one-way. I could see into her mind and practically live through her eyes. She could do none of the above to me however. If the things Dimitri was saying were true, then he and I would have a bond that went both directions. I would be able to feel him and he would be able to feel me. I could see why that would make us such an unstoppable team. Who could fare against a pair of highly trained Strigoi lovers with an inside track no one would know about?

I also thought about what Dimitri did for me after Marlen informed him I was here. He had gone out of his way to clear a place for me in the service of the Strigoi they both worked for. All the while he planned a way for us to take over the world, in a manner of speaking. I didn't yet know what that plan was, but clearly part of that plan involved the two of us becoming _one._ He could have just killed me for forced me into turning from day one. But he hadn't. On the contrary he waited patiently for me to make the choice myself. And how did I repay him? By plotting against him, running away and almost getting us both killed.The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't deny that if something were to happen to Dimitri, I would die anyway. My choice was made for me, the day I first set eyes on my Russian God.

"Dimitri, I told you 'Yes,' without knowing everything this proposal would entail…"

His nostril's flared a little and his jaw clinched, he was bracing himself for my refusal.

"…Now, after learning all this… I need you to know something very important…"

He was subtly taking in and letting out larger and larger breaths of air.

"With out you, I die anyway. What difference would it make if my body shut down of it's own volition cause you were no longer there? So I'm saying yes, for a second, third, fourth and fifth time. Make me yours in every way possible." I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on as though the world was coming to an end. I felt him stop breathing. I caught him totally off guard! _Score one Rose!_

My answer sunk in and he held me tighter. One arm around my waist and the other griping the back of my head. He kissed my hair over and over. Then pulled me back to look at my face. Still not totally believing what I just said. "You are not lying to me Rose, are you?"

I giggled, "Have I every been able to lie to you before Comrade?" He shook his head "No, never. Oh Roza! My Roza!" He pulled me back into his arms. Even as a Strigoi he could be tender. All our walls were down and suddenly I felt ashamed for my behavior prior to my Awakening. Before the wedding ceremony I needed to get one thing off my chest.

"I'm so sorry for everything my love. All this time you were working to start this perfect life for us and look how I repaid you. Please forgive me. Before we are married, I need to know that you forgive me for being so close-minded before. I feel like such a fool!"

He shook his head vigorously. " No Roza, you have nothing to feel foolish about. I know why you did those things. As Dhampir's we were raised to believe that turning Strigoi was the end of everything. It's not your fault. You must believe that."

He was so right. It wasn't my fault! It was their fault! The Moroi and Dhampir ' _powers that be'_ that decide who and what is wrong or evil whenever they deem convenient. "I do Dimitri. Lets make them pay for what they did to us all these years."

He touched my lips with his thumb and whispered "Come," We climbed back on the bed kneeling before each other without breaking eye contact. Dimitri reached for the rings and handed me the larger of the two. He held the smaller ring and picked up my left hand. He slid the ring on my finger and turned my palm up. The dagger was in his left hand, keeping contact with my eyes he dragged the blade in a straight line diagonally across my left palm. The pain was more than I could have imagined. I squeezed my eyes shot as my body began to shake from the pain. Gaining control of my self I opened my eyes and looked back up and my groom. I took the dagger from him and copied his actions. Putting the ring on his left ring finger, turning up his palm and making the exact same incision. His jaw was clinched so tightly I was sure he wasn't far off from breaking his teeth. He too gained his composure and gazed back into my eyes. Our hands came together, our fingers linked, our blood spilling into each other's veins and down our arms. He took the dagger and aimed the sharp point at my heart. It was scalding, the pain that shot through me. Dimitri sliced the skin over my heart open. I felt my warm wet blood drip over my left breast and down my whole left side. Keeping from crying out was a true test of self-control. He handed me the dagger and again I copied his actions. He was seriously hurting but refused to show more than discomfort. Two of the three cuts were made. The worst, I imagined, was yet to come. I imagined right! The cut to my through was so incredibly painful I couldn't suppress the whimper that escaped my lips or the scream the whimper turned into. When the cut was made the pain was tolerable but still, it hurt like hell. Dimitri growled as soon as the blade touched his neck. The growl became more bestial as I opened his skin. Finally it was done. We were panting as the gap between us closed and we began to make love. I felt Dimitri's tongue licking the blood droplets from my throat. I did the same to him. He tasted… good… delicious… oh my god! I was delectable! He was inside me now his chest dripping blood down onto mine as it mixed. He held our left hands over our heads and he slowly thrust in and out. This was a whole new level of closeness. Slowly the pain I was feeling wasn't just mine; it was his! I was starting to feel Demitri's pain. I was also starting to feel his pleasure. _Holy wow!_ Talk about a mind-blowing experience. I knew he was starting to feel me as well. Our eyes met and I could feel what he was thinking. His thoughts spoke to me asking me if I was experiencing the same sensation's he was. Our bond was forming. We were getting close to coming. The final step to sealing our bond was happening.

"Roza…" his voice was horse as he spoke his vow "…forever, I will stand with you by my side forever. I will live and die for you. One heart, one mind, one life."

It was my turn. There were no prewritten lines we needed to memorize. We only had to say what was in our hearts. "Dimitri, love of my life, this is eternal. I will follow you my love throughout this life and the next. Not even death will not take me from you. One heart, one mind, one life, one soul."

A sensation that can closely be compared to electrocution ran through us as we came together. All our cuts miraculously healed. The blood that had covered us less than a second ago was gone. We were still looking into each other's eyes. Only now, we could hear eachother.

 _Roza?_

 _Dimitri?_

We spoke though our mouths didn't move. The shock and awe on our faces was genuinely that. In shock that what we did really worked and in awe of the new senses he were both feeling.

' _We did it Dimitri! We are One!'_

' _Yes my wife, we are. Now that we are One, tell me what you think of my plan.'_

A wicked smile played on my lips as his entire plan was laid before me.

' _Oh Comrade, I love how your mind works. This is going to be so much fun…'_

The same wicked smile was on his lips

' _Oh my Roza, fun doesn't even begin to describe the adventure we are about to undergo.'_


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The sun finally set. Dimitri and I had spent the rest of the morning exploring our new bond and enjoying each other's bodies. Tonight would be the first step in Dimitri's master plan: our taking over the Strigoi underground of Eastern Europe. His plan was to take out the clan leaders of Novosibirsk. Eventually using their combined numbers to take over everything as far south as Kazakhstan and as far west as Moscow. That chunk of territory held the most concentrated Strigoi population in the former Soviet Union. Dimitri was sure that if we could accomplish this. Uniting the Strigoi here under one King and Queen, others would follow. We would have the numbers we'd need to take on any who sought to challenge us. One thing was still perplexing me. Other than killing off their leaders, why would the clans follow us? Not trying to sell ourselves short or anything but technically, we were nobodies. Dimitri had only been a Strigoi for a few months and me for less than a day. What would prevent them from falling into total anarchy?

My thoughts called to him, he came from behind me and held me against his still bare chest. He had put on a pair of black jeans that were unbuttoned and unzipped. He could have been posing for a photo-shoot; he was that pretty to look at. "Don't worry Roza, they will follow us. Nearly all Strigoi were once Morio or Dhampir. As much as they revel in their Awakened state many also desire something more than anarchy but have no way of making it happen aside from small time trouble making. They crave leadership into victories almost as much as they crave blood. And we are the perfect two for the job. He kissed my neck and shoulder then stepped away to finish dressing. My God, he was good at that. His attempt to ease my concern was very appreciated. It'd didn't totally quiet them though.

The room we shared had two master walk-in closets. _'His and hers, aw'_ I thought. I could feel Dimitri smiling at that. As he strode to the double doors that let to his closet, I took a good look at the bookshelf we had some fun on earlier. It was filled with western novels. I resisted rolling my eyes. _'I'll bet anything that was the first contribution you made to this room,'_

' _Second,'_ he opened the doors and immediately looked to his right. Through his eyes I saw a row of 15 leather dusters neatly hung on wooden hangers. They were in various shades of black and brown. I laughed out loud and called out to him as I walked to the doors of my closet, "I invoke my right to save laying zingers on you for a later date! Right now it would be too easy!"

I opened the doors and looked around. The rows and shelves had been filled with expensive clothing ranging from risqué to formal. "I have my own mall," I said to myself. Past the rows of dresses, tops, pants and lingerie (which was all a little naughty) was a jewelry stand and a dressing table. Along with the fantastic clothing selection, the closet had been blessed with a fabulous makeup and hair care selection! Momentarily I paused to ask Dimitri in my head, _'Do I even want to know where all this came from?'_ he smirked and responded _'A store…'_ Now that made me roll my eyes!

I went back to my mission, beautifying. I had finally settled on a tight pair of dark red leather pants and an equally tight black backless halter-top. I also grabbed a pair of black platform boots and a three quarter sleeved jacket. My hair and makeup took a bit longer than finding my outfit. I kept my lips pale opting for a nude lip-gloss and smoky eyes. Their red hue was amplified from the dark smudging. I straightened my wavy hair and was pleased at how much longer it looked this way. Dimitri always had a thing for my long dark hair.

I stepped out of the closet fully dressed and made up. Dimitri had been standing at one of the glass balcony doors looking out at the night. When he felt my presence he turned and did a double take. Yeah, I looked that hot. _Score 2, Rose!_

The distance between us was nonexistent then as we grabbed my ass and kissed me hard. I knew the nude lip-gloss was the way to go. This man could not be trusted with the epic disaster that was smudged lipstick. He continued kissing me as our bond spoke.

' _Roza, you are making it very hard for me to let you leave this room!'_

' _I don't mind staying in and undressing all over again'_ I responded. My thoughts took on a sweet and innocent tone that made him growl into my mouth. He broke the kiss and took my left hand, bringing it to his lips. Dimitri kissed my wedding ring and spoke aloud. "There's just one thing missing…" He reached in his pocket and produced a long titanium necklace. It was long enough to create 3 loops of varied lengths around my neck. The thickness of the chain measured only about a half a centimeter and was edged with little razor teeth. It wasn't sharp enough to cut my skin while I wore it. But it could do some serious damage if it was pulled tightly enough.

"Perfect. Come my love, the night awaits us. But…"

"…the day is ours" I finished his sentence.

"I will never get tired of that," he said and kissed my ring once more. ' _or of this…'_ He loved how we could communicate through our thoughts now. I did too. Still holding my hand Dimitri walked us out of the room.

As we walked through Galina's estate… Wait, that's not right, Galina was dead. This was our estate now. The gravity of that knowledge brought a smile to my lips. Every Strigoi we passed bowed their heads to us. Wow, this kind of power was fun! The direction we were headed was taking us into the lower levels of the estate. I looked at Dimitri. Finely dressed in black jeans, black boots and a black long-sleeved button-down shirt topped with his signature duster; he looked every bit the God of my dreams. The top three buttons of his shirt were left open, leaving a delicious view of his throat and some of his chest.

Back at the academy, His shirts were always buttoned to the very top. But he wasn't a guardian anymore. He was a free man. A devastatingly sexy creature of the night. My creature of the night.

We stopped at a plain grey metal door that led to a garage. What I saw next made my panties wet. In the garage were 5 ridiculously sexy sports cars. The first one we passed was a black and red Bulgatti Veyron, the second was a neon green Ferrari, the third was a white Koenigsegg Agera with black racing stripes, the fourth was a blood red Lambroghini Veneno and the fifth was a silver Aston Martin.

I was speechless. I heard Dimirti laugh. "See something you like Roza?" I nodded my head "They're…so…pretty…"

"Pick one,"

I was still stunned. How could I pick just one? "I think you are going to have to take the lead here Comrade." I was still in awe as Dimitri strode confidently to the Lambroghini. "It matches our rings," he said explaining his choice. I skipped over to the passenger side door and sat beside my husband. He looked at me and spoke through our bond _'It also matches your pants.'_ He winked at me and revved the engine.

The top of the Lambroghini was off giving us an amazing view of the stars as we drove through the winding roads towards the city. I was still not 100% sure of the miles to kilometers ratio but I knew this. We were going very, very, VERY fast! I couldn't help shouting out a great big "WOOO!" and lifting my hands to feel the air swooshing as we sped. Dimitri laughed and joined my woo-ing. We started howling like wolves at a full moon. This was incredible! Again he took my left hand and kissed my ring. I spoke to him through our bond,

'God, I love you Dimitri.'

'I love you too my Roza,'

When we were about five minutes away that wicked look crossed Dilitri's face again. I couldn't resist asking, "What are you up to now?" He opened the glove box and retieved 2 pairs of black sunglasses. He handed one to me and spoke, "ready to have some more fun?" Intrigued, I took the more feminine of the glasses and we put them on. Then he went to work on the stereo. A techno song blasted out of the speakers. I knew the song, Skrillex's _'Kill Everybody'_. The music was awesome but that still didn't let me know what he was up to and he was blocking his thoughts from me. I didn't know we could to that. Apparently we couldn't do it for long since thirty seconds later, I figured out his little scheme. "Oh, you are bad Mr. Belikov." He kept his eyes on the road as he spoke. His voice viciously sexy, "You know you love it Mrs. Belikov" Yes, yes I did. His calling me Mrs. Belikov made my smile grow wider.

We pulled up in front of an old factory that had been converted into the hottest nightclub in Novosibirsk. I had been to 2 nightclubs in this area when I was hunting Dimitri but this was way bigger and looked to pull in a much wealthier crowd. The line to get in was enormous. Everyone on the line stopped and stared at the Lambroghini. The wicked thought that crossed my beloved's face before was a little game we would play for the crowd as we entered. Sunglasses on Dimitri exited the car eccentrically gesturing to the valet making a point to tell him not to scratch the paint in the most obnoxious way I have ever seen. And wait… was he speaking in French? He was! _'You cheeky bastard!'_ I spoke to him in thought. He walked to my door and opened it pulling me close to him and draping his arm around my shoulders setting some of his weight on me as we walked to the velvet rope. I did my best to look board and repulsed by the little people surrounding me. Sliding my sunglasses low on my nose and surveying the crowd like they were creatures in a zoo. I could only speak English and Russian, but everyone here could speak Rissian and American English didn't feel impressive enough. Then a light bulb went off in my head. I began speaking in an over the top British accent. "Will we be here long love? We have 4 other parties to attend _tonight_. You know I hate _no showing_ our friends." The accent caught Dimitri off guard for half a second. I could see everyone around us whispering to his or her neighbors, wondering who we were. It was Dimitri's turn to speak. His forced French accent was hilarious but still hot! "It's just a quick meeting Ma Chère," his attention turned to the bouncer but he never looked directly at him. "Ivan is expecting us…" then he whispered a password into the bouncer's ear "…Marțolea **"**

Everyone was still staring. My enhanced senses picked up a conversation from a girl standing on the front of the line speaking in Russian, "She was on the cover, I'm telling you! And I think he's that French street artist, I forgot his name. He's showing at…" I tuned out as the bouncer let us right in. Once away from the outside crowd we both burst with laughter.

"That was priceless! Were you seriously speaking French?" I leaned against him and we took off the sunglasses. Both of us laughing so hard my stomach hurt.

"I couldn't help myself. The look on that guys face was great! He didn't understand a word I said!" he rested on the wall "What about you with that British accent?"

I kissed him "like that did you?" He kept the kiss going and grabbed my ass with both hands. " I did, you may have to do it for me again later."

A bottle blond wearing a very short black dress and _fuck me_ heels walked to us holding a neon pink clipboard. "Dimitri Belikov?" she asked. When she looked up from the clipboard she eyed Dimitri hungrily. It made me want to bight her. She didn't even look at me. The jokes were over, now it was time for business. "Yes," he replied coolly. She put on her best flirty smile, batted her eyelashes and asked us to follow her. _'Oh sweetie, I will kill you,'_ I thought seeing how she kept looking back at my man and giggling. Sensing my anger toward the bimbo, Dimitri gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. His thoughts spoke to me _'Don't worry Roza, I am only for you. Besides I can smell her peroxide from here,'_ he turned to me and made a mock vomit face. I smiled at him then continued glaring at boobs for brains. She led us to an upstairs area at the back of the club. Black lights lit everything and rock music played loudly. Above the mayhem was a giant mirror angled downward towards the dance floor.

"Ivan will meet with you in here, but first if you please." She said hinting to the two Strigoi men standing on opposite sides of a black door. They came to Dimitri and patted him down. Then one came to me and patted me down. Dimitri looked like he was using all his will power not to kill guy touching my body as he searched for weapons. Especially since he lingered a little too long around my ass and boobs. _'I'm really going to enjoy killing him when this is over, I will cut off his hands before we leave this club tonight.'_ Dimitri did say he would kill any man who touched me. The venom in his thoughts was proof of how willingly he'd follow through with that promise. Once the guards were satisfied we were unarmed the nodded to the blond.

She opened the door to a private lounge. The music was significantly lower inside. It was dimly lit with a private bar, personal sound system and a huge window that overlooked the entire club. I realized the window was the mirror on the club side. In the lounge was a plush seating bench that was C shaped. A small stage with a stripper pole was at the center of the seating area. Dimitri noted it and thought to me, _'This could be useful,'_ there was no humor in his thoughts. _'For what exactly?'_ I thought back I knew my part in this but where did striping come into play? _'I'll tell you when the time comes.'_ I was about to question him further when the bimbo spoke again. "Can I take your coat or make you a drink?" her voice was dripping with phony sweetness. "No" he told her sternly. She was taken back by his tone, probably not used to men turning her down. She left the room. _Take that skank!_

The door opened again and a tall lean Strigoi entered. He was bald and covered in tattoos. If I had been a lowly human, this guy would freak me out. He smiled and welcomed us in Russian. "Dimitri my friend! Welcome to my humble home." The two men shook hands firmly _'So this is Ivan?'_ I asked via our bond. _'Yes, he's a snake, a deadly one at that. I will do my best to make this quick but you may have to fight as well. Be ready.'_

"I see you brought a friend, are you going to introduce us?" His gaze was locked on me. I knew the game plan, and went to work on charming this… individual.

Each of the four clan leaders handled a different underground enterprise. Galina had ruled over the whorehouses and prostitution rings, Boris did the drug labs and dealers, Jori was all over the gambling and Ivan owned the night clubs and most of the real state. Of the 4 of them, Ivan was the most legit and the most powerful. He owned nearly all the properties where the other 3 conducted their shit. This made Ivan the one to take out first least he be a bigger problem later on.

"He doesn't need to, I'm Violet" I spoke in English and held out my hand and smiling. My smile displayed my fangs proudly. I had developed a reputation as a Strigoi hunter during my time in Russia before my Awakening. The fact that I told Marlon my first and last name didn't help. Nor did the fact that I made it known that I was looking for Dimitri in particular. In order to keep up the pretense that this was a normal meeting. We agreed that using a fake name was a smart move.

Ivan took my hand and brought it to his lips. He switched to English, his accent sounded sleazy. "Charmed to meet you Violetta. I'm so glad Dimitri brought you with him. I thought this would be a boring meeting but now, it's a boring meeting with an exceptional view." He practically made out with my hand. This guy was straight up icky. But I played my part. I was here to be a distraction. If all went according to plan, Dimitri would give me the signal and I would use my _assets_ to distract Ivan long enough for Dimitri to get the drop on him and go in for the kill.

Ivan was a clan leader. From what Dimitri told me earlier tonight, Ivan controlled the largest of the 4 Strigoi clans in Novosibirsk. If we were going to conquer them all, it was smart to begin with whoever would pose the largest threat if saved for last. The meeting we were about to have, as far as Ivan knew, was to discuss what role Dimitri would play now that he had killed Galina. A job Ivan had apparently paid Dimitri to do. Of course Dimitri was planning on killing her anyway but, as one evil genius once said, if you're good at something, never do it for free. This arrangement would give Dimitri the opportunity to have a private sit down with Ivan once the job was done. And here we are now.

I kicked the flirt up a notch by giggling at his compliment. "Well, aren't you the lady killer. Dimitri, why didn't you introduce me to your friend sooner?" Dimitri forced a smile but between the outside guard groping me and this icky punk-rock looking creep drooling all over my hand; I could tell he was ready to loose it. Ivan continued still holding my hand up close to his mouth. "Tell me beautiful Violetta, does that stoic Dracula cowboy have his hooks in you? Or can I buy you a drink once we're done?"

Dimitri's sharp voice cut through Ivan's attempts at getting in my pants "Violet is my new captain. That's why I brought her with me. I wanted her to meet you, as she will be the go between for our operations together Ivan. She is a fierce fighter and has many talents I believe we can both take advantage of. Back in Montana she was my student. We were both Awakened the night of the attack on St Vladimir's."

Ivan wasn't the least bit threatened by Dimitri's tone. "Ah, then we shall see quite a bit of each other. Strange that this is the first time I have seen her given our planning for Galina. If she is your new captain would have thought she would have been part of it all."

"She was, she is the one who finished Galina off with me. With her beauty and youth, I knew Galina would have sent her to the whorehouses. When we arrived here I told her to go out on her own till the time was right." Dimitri's back-story had no wholes. Ivan was satisfied with the explanation. "Then the mystery of this beautiful creature is undone. Lovely Violetta, my serious friend, let we three talk business."

We three sat on the C shaped sofa. Ivan made it a point the sit in between Dimitri and I. The men began discussing territories, business transactions, locations of other clubs and so on. I watched Ivan closely, making it look like I was enamored with everything he said. If he suspected anything he didn't show it. Then again, he knew Dimitri, they had more than one meeting together. I'm sure more than one had taken place in this very room. Dimitri's thoughts answered me, _'Yes, many meetings in this room. That's why I knew this would be our chance. Play some music Roza, it's time'_ He was getting more and more relaxed. I touched his arm to get his attention. "Sorry to interrupt fella's would either of you mind if I put on some music? I'm dying of boredom over here."

Dimitri played his part in this set up by looking annoyed that I had cut him off. "This is important Violet, if you are to be my Captain you need to know these things." He was so method I almost forgot this is exactly what we planned. "I need to follow your orders Dimitri. As long as you explain them well I think I'll do just fine. We're not in St Vladimir's anymore." I did my best to talk down to Dimitri with Ivan in the middle of us. Leading him to believe that there was an opening to recruit me to his operation. Or at least seduce me.

Ivan fell for it. "The young lady is right Dimitri, These details are boring to me! I can imagine how boring they must be for her. Go Violetta and play some music. Let us finish this so we can celebrate our victory the right way." I got up and sauntered to the sound system. The screen was at level to my thigh so I bent over to scroll through the song list. I was only half paying attention to the selection of music as the men continued speaking. The topic of conversation right now was me.

"Tell me my friend, have you sampled this lovely flower?" Ivan asked.

"She was my student before we were Awakened like I said. I do find her very attractive, made several attempts but she is not interest in me."

"Shame for you. Dimitri we have agreed to the terms of your assuming Galina's operation. Why don't you go find Kristiana? Tell her to have the guards bring up the refreshments. I will entertain your _student_ while you are gone."

I selected David Bowe _'I'm Afraid of Americans'_ turned the volume way up and began to put on a little dancing show for Ivan. I turned and saw Dimitri leave the room but not before he gave me one last look and nodded. Everything was falling into place. Ivan joined me dancing placing his hands on my hips. He pulled me close and grinded his pelvis against me. I casually put my arms around his neck and smiled. He began his attempt to seduce me.

"You have fire in you, don't you Violetta? I admire that in a woman."

"I bet you tell all the girls that Ivan."

"Only the ones I really want."

"And I fall under that category? I'm flattered."

He smiled back at me. Ivan sleaziness was making me sick. But I had to kill the time till Dimitri came back. Until then my job was to take Ivan off his game. He lowered his head and inhaled me. _GROSS!_

"You smell like Violets. What are you doing with Dimitri? He has no imagination. No way to possibly satisfy a fiery angel like you."

"And you do?" I slid my necklace off and put it around his neck. He was slowly guiding me backwards so I went with it and playfully pulled him with me by the chain. He was guiding me to the window. I felt my back bump into the ledge that ran along the window's length. He cornered me. _'What the hell is taking you so long?!'_ I shouted at Dimitri through our bond. Ivan gripped my hips and lifted me into the ledge standing between my legs. "Ask me that again in the morning sweet Violetta." He dropped his head to my neck and inhaled me again.

Dimitri opened the door and his eyes turned redder than I thought possible. But he knew this was part of the plan. That didn't stop him from boiling with jealousy. With the loud music and my seduction Ivan was totally caught off guard when Dimitri took hold of the titanium necklace I had put around Ivan's neck and pulled, hard. I could see there was fresh blood already on his hands. I'd have to ask him about that later. The teeth of the chain cut into Ivan's throat. He couldn't breathe as he tried his best toe grab some slack from the chain but there was none. He thrashed around and tried to grab Dimitri. All his moving did was help the teeth of the chain cut his skin deeper. Then the blood started flowing. Dimitri spoke into Ivan's ear as the chain cut deeper and deeper.

"Ivan, I would like you to meet my wife Rose." His voice was eerily calm.

"She and I are here to tell you that everything that was once yours is now ours. I'm disappointed you made this so easy for me. You were strong once, but now your weak. And also out of luck _my friend._ "

Dimitri dropped Ivan's body face down on the stripper stage. His head was almost completely severed save for the attached spinal cord and the flesh on the back of his neck. Blood covered the floor and stage.

"I told you the stage would be useful." He pulled me to his side wrapping his left arm around my neck. "Yes you did Comrade." I picked up my leg and stomped on the back of Ivan's nearly severed neck. The bone completely broke. The weight of his head tore the remaining flesh. His head fell to the floor and bounced.

I nuzzled into Dimitri's hair and I held his waist. The gory events of the evening had absolutely no affect on me. I was honestly more grossed our by Ivan's sexual attempt than the sight of his headless corpse. Being a Strigoi freed me from fear. I felt no remorse for what we did. Dimitri's words from before he Awakened me rang in my head. He had told me the world is made of predators and prey. At the time his harsh outlook on the world scared me. Now it made perfect sense. We were the predators and everyone else was prey.

"Thank God you finally came back." I lightly hit him in the stomach. "What took you so long? He was all over me! I almost punched him and blew the whole thing!"

"I was dealing with the guards, particularly the one who had the nerve to molested you." He nodded to the bar and I saw a pair of severed hands. "So that's where the blood on your hands came from."

"I also brought you a present" Dimitri removed his arm and walked back to the door. He returned a moment later with the skanky blond. She was panicking as he dragged her by the arm and threw her onto the couch. She looked back and forth at the two of us. "Aw, honey. You shouldn't have." I bum rushed her and sank my fangs into her throat. In all the excitement I'd completely forgotten I had gotten hungry again. She tasted excellent. I picked up my head and looked at Dimirti. "Care to join me lover? There's plenty to share." He knelt on the other side of her, and took up her wrist. "Don't mind if I do."

We finished her off together.

After we cleaned ourselves up from our snack, we exited the private lounge. Hand in hand Dimitri led us to a Strigoi standing with an earpiece and another neon pink clipboard. His nametag read _Max_. Dimitri looked in his eyes, the fear radiating off Max laughable. Dimitri spoke.

"You know who I am, you work for me now. Tell your people they too work for me now. If they have a problem with that, you know where to find me. And send someone to clean up the mess in the lounge." We walked away and exited the club.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

The events at led to Ivan's untimely death at our hands left Dimitri and I exhilarated! They also left us starving. The blond skank we shared from the club was hardly enough to satisfy our apatite, especially after a glorious victory like that. We drove to a part of the city I hadn't been in before. The streets were distended with record stores, head shops and punk rock clothing boutique's. It smelled like urine and smoke. This must have been the NYC East Village section every city had. The one angry rocker kids always took hold of and did their best to transform it back in time to the 70's-80's punk era; a time when most, if not all of them, hadn't been around for. The scattered upscale coffee shops and vegan restaurants were proof that while the Anarchy of the era must sound romantic, the generation was way too spoiled by the civilized society they'd been born into. In truth if any of these modern punk rock kids went back in time and spent one day in the 1978 CBGB's; it would be a matter of when (not if) they would piss their pants and cry for their mommy's. Not that I had been there anything or myself. But you have to admit, my assessment sounds on point.

Dimitri pulled the car into an alley and opened his door. He stopped at the back of the car and held out his hand for me. We walked down the filthy streets in silence. Following Dimitri's lead was natural for me. After all the time we spent at St Vladimir's with him as my mentor, it was almost expected that I would follow his commands. Even though I did occasionally disobey and go with whatever my gut told me in times of battle. The last 24 hours had been I had been taking a back seat and going with whatever he felt we needed to do. But to be honest, I was getting board of the subservient girlfriend role.

Dimitri's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"You mean subservient _wife_ role, Rose" There was humor in his voice. He continued, "I know your independence is staring to get to you but you must trust me. I know this place, I know the people. I know the Strigoi we are up against and what we will face in the coming months. I also know that I can't do what I have planned without you. There will be many times when I will need your gall to get us through a situation. When your beautiful risk-taking mind will take us out a hidden window when all the doors are locked. But until then for the sake of our mission, you must follow me. I am going to teach you everything I have learned Roza. I am going to make you a Queen."

His words left me fluttery inside. There was nothing I could ever do against him and there was nothing he wouldn't do for me. Dimitri was my shining sun in this new world of darkness, which we were planning to conquer. That was when it hit me. He was absolutely right. Our yin and yang relationship would serve us well as we took on the world together. Him being the cautious, intimidating, brutal planner and me being the ballsy reckless spitfire. Add the two of us being equally matched in brains and brawn plus we were both disturbingly attractive. We really were unstoppable.

A loud crash followed by drunken laughter caught our attention. Across the street from us was a very intoxicated punk rock couple was getting kicked out of a bar after last call. The guy had fallen into some tin trashcans that were on the curb in front of the bar. He had a 12" tall blond Mohawk an enough piercings in his face that I briefly wondered how he kept food and water from leaking whenever he ate. He was also ridiculously skinny leading me to believe he didn't eat all that much. Thus ending my leaking face query. His tight pants and band t-shirt smelled like cigarette smoke and BO. He clearly hadn't showered in a few days.

The girl was also blond with thick black streaks. She wasn't as thin as her drinking buddy but, in reality, what girl was? Her make up was laid on thick with black rings around her eyes and blood red lips lined with darker red pencil. All the make up had begin running down her face and at some point she must have stopped caring since it didn't look like she had done anything to fix it in the last hour. She was wearing ripped up black jeans and black army boots with white laces and a shiny pleather jacket. The runny make up and punkie outfit made her look kind of like a depressing Picasso clown / batman villain.

I didn't know who they were but I was overwhelmed with how much their very existence began to insult me. This was the predatory instinct taking over. I could feel it coming from Dimitri too. He was as insulted by their existence as I was. Maybe even more than I was. The instinct grew stronger and stronger inside my gut till it overwhelmed me and I starting sprinting at them. My sprint was came to a dead stop as Dimitri grabbed both of my shoulders and jerked me back.

"What the hell?" I was hungry and cranky and not at all in the mood for anyone to get in the way of my meal. Not even Dimitri. But I could see he was just as ravenous as I was. So why did he stop me?

"Come, this way." He said and walked us around the block so we would meet the couple head on. We passed another narrow alley and stopped. "I will be in there, get them to follow you past the dumpster, Then we feast." Normally I wouldn't challenge him but my hunger made me defiant. "Why can't we just drag them in? The streets are deserted and we…" he cut me off with a kiss that ended my protesting of his command "Shutting up now."

That sexy smirk of his was there again making my knees weak. "I want you to use compulsion on them. Get them to follow you into the alley." I turned and started walking to the punk duo. When they were close enough I began staggering my walk making it look like I was as shitfaced as they were. The pointed and cheered at my intoxicated appearance. That was the opening I was looking for. I stopped their stride and looked them both in the eye asking if they spoke English. Thankfully they did. My Russian was good conversationally but for my first time using compulsion, I figured I'd be better off popping my cherry in a language I knew 100%.

Once I had their gazes locked I could feel warmth coming from the back of my neck. The warmth traveled to the back of my head then to my face and seemed to flow out of my eyes… and into theirs. The words I spoke didn't sound like my usual speaking voice. It was because they were coming directly from that place where the warmth started. From another part of my brain that till now I didn't know existed.

"You two have had such a fun night, you want to keep the party going…" It was me talking but the words were made of pure intention. The strength of which, these two zombies, were powerless against.

"…I've got exactly what you need to make this night one you will never forget. It's in this Alley. Come with me and lets get wild."

They were my puppets now. Without question they followed me into the alley still staggering from their drinking. We were feet away from the dumpster where I knew Dimitri was waiting. He stepped out from the darkness. His eyes were blazing with hunger and predatory pride in my success. "Well done my love." He gently touched my cheek and continued over to our guests. "Who would you prefer Rose?" I approached our prey, evaluation who looked more appetizing. "I'll take her." I said.

I felt Dimitri's compulsion take over the two humans. "Kneel before royalty mice." They did as he compelled. We both took our positions behind the couple. I felt Dimitri's eyes on me and lifted my head to meet his glance. "Thank you for diner my Roza. Next time will be my treat." His sarcastic insinuation made me smile and look back at my impending meal. Her breathing was slow. She wasn't panicked or scared. She wasn't crying to shaking. She didn't even know what was happening. I couldn't resist my morbid curiosity. "What's your name?" I asked. In a breathy trance filled voice she answered, "Falon" I asked the guy the same question, he answered "Dominicko".

"Falon, Dominicko, thank you for joining my husband and I this evening."

In one synchronized movement both Dimitri and I sank our fangs into the throats of our victims and drank till there was no drop left.

Hunger sated I lifted my face from Falon's throat and looked at Dimitri. He had told me back when he was trying to convince me to choose to be Awakened that I would love drinking human blood. That feeling the life force of my prey fade away at my hands would be beyond any endorphins I experienced from getting bitten myself. How right he was!

We dropped the bodies and ran one another. Our mouths still wet with the blood of Falon and Dominiko. My hands grabbed at his silky long hair like I couldn't get close enough. Like I wanted to crawl inside his skin. He kissed me with the same demand and backed me into the dumpster he had hidden behind earlier. It made a loud thud as our hard bodies made impact. Dimitri let go of my lips and looked deep into my eyes. "You are amazing Roza, You compelled 2 humans at the same time. Not many of us can do that so early on. You are a wonder my love."

I loved his complements. I broke his eye contact and looked at our dearly departed diner guests. "What do we do with them?" Simultaneously we looked at the dumpster behind me, then at the bodies, then back at each other.

Once the bodies were in the dumpster we walked back to the car. It was getting close to sunrise and we needed to get back home for the day. Feeling playful I walked backwards and scrutinized his face. "What is it?" he asked. "You missed a spot, right…" Before finishing my sentence I hopped up and licked a tiny drop of blood from the corner of his mouth, "…here!" He didn't look very pleased with my little playful gesture. I though I'd pissed him for a moment. Till he reached out grabbed my ribs and started tickling me. Strigoi were ticklish? I thought. Looks like we are cause I couldn't breathe! I laughed and screamed in equal measure "You think you're funny Rose?" Through choking laughs I begged for his mercy "Truce! Truce! Please, baby truce!" He let ribs go and pulled me to him. "You've never called me that before, _baby_ , I like it."

We reached the car and I jumped into my seat through the open roof as gracefully as a cat. Dimitri looked impressed and climbed in the old-fashioned way. We had just enough darkness to drive home and enjoy our day wearing as little clothing as possible. An idea occurred to me as we drove back. Dimitri wanted me with him because he loved me, yes, but also because he knew how valuable I could be as an ally. He marveled at how well I compelled the couple we fed from earlier and at how quickly I was taking to this new life. This is who I was meant to be. Through the trees I could see the hedge maze on the property of our estate and a vicious idea came to my mind. I looked at Dimitri and slapped his arm "Tag Comrade, you're it!" Before he could ask what I was talking about I opened the car door and jumped out. Once I regained my control and stood up I heard Dimitri shout my name. The car was idling on the side of the road. I sent my thoughts to him.

' _Your turn to prove you're a worthy ally lover. First one through the hedge maze and in the house wins!'_

' _Rose, this is stupid. The sun is rising this very moment and if one of us gets caught in the light we will both die.'_

" _Then don't get caught in the light. You're wasting time.'_

I heard him take out his cell and dial someone's phone number. The person on the other end was instructed to come pick up the car and fill it with gas. Then he called out to me.

"Game on Roza," he ran into the woods towards the maze.

I knew he had been on the estate for months before I came and undoubtedly knew the maze better than I did but that made no difference to me now. I ran through the maze so fast that everything looked like a blur. Left turn, right turn, right again, left, left again, right. Any time I reached a dead end I backtracked and kept going. Dimitri's thoughts called out to me, _'It's getting bright Roza, I'm almost home. You?'_

' _Are you kidding? I've already got my slippers on,'_ I bluffed

' _You don't have slippers.'_ He retorted.

' _I know, I ordered them online while I was waiting for you slowpoke.'_

The rising sun was starting to make me itchy. I made one more left turn and there was the house. It was a lot bigger in this dim light but where was Dimitri?

I called his name over and over again but he didn't answer. I called him with my thoughts. _'Dimitri? Where are you?'_ still there was nothing. I could still feel him but I couldn't see anything through him. What could have happened? Did he get hurt? What could possible hurt a Strigoi? Then a small memory hit me like a ton of bricks. I guy he had fed on. There were little pinpricks on the inside of his arm. He had been a shooter. What if he had a disease that could affect Strigoi. What if Dimitri was inside the maze sick and needed my help? Without another thought I ran back into the maze. The itch on my skin was getting worse and was starting to burn. Using only the feeling of our bond I navigated the maze like a child playing Marco Polo. Every now and then stopping to see if the feel of him was stronger or weaker. The burning sensation was starting to make me spin but I had to find him. Then I saw him. He was sitting in a shaded patch of grass with his eyes closed. I ran to him and grabbed his shoulders shaking him violently. "Dimitri? Talk to me! What happened?"

His eyes opened and to my surprise, he smiled. "Roza, you came for me." Confused didn't begin to cover my feelings. "Of course I came for you. The sun is rising we need to get inside now!" He got up and took my hand. "I know a short cut, this way." Three sharp turns later we were out of the maze and sprinting to the house. The sky was bright pink. It matched the bright pink burning flush that appeared on our exposed skin. At last we were inside the front doors to the estate.

We both collapsed against the closed door. Our skin was a bright shade of reddish pink and was glossy with sweat. Dimitri held me in his arms and kissed my hair. "You were worried about me." It wasn't a question, he was reading my thoughts. "Yes I was worried about you. I thought something had happened in the maze and you were in trouble." He kissed my hair once more and sighed. "I wanted to see if you would come and why. You could have come because you were worried about dying yourself or because of the plan we have falling apart. But no, you came to me out of devotion." I looked up at him adoringly. "You needed to put yourself in peril to find that out?"

"Well, yes. How else would I know for sure what you would do in the heat of the moment? You could have chosen to save yourself in the hope that our bond would fail in killing you too. But you didn't, you ran from safety to find me. I can't tell you what that means to me Roza."

There was nothing I could say. He was my world and I was his. This was supposed to be me testing him but he ended up testing me. I was glad he did. Sitting on the floor of the foyer holding on to his body listening to him tell me about how what I did meant everything to him. I felt whole.

He pushed himself to his feet and helped me up with him. "Come Roza, let's have a bath." As much as I loved our nightly adventures, I think daylight was soon to be my favorite time of day.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

 _Lissa_

I was dreaming of a beach. All my close friends were there including Rose. We were basking in the glory that was the sunlight. Something In life I hadn't much experience with. Even my parents were there. My father and brother laughing with us all over whatever silly thing occurred there on the sand. Then I noticed that Rose was gone. I called her name but my kick ass bff was nowhere to be found. A falling sensation went through me as I kept calling her name. All the faces around me were standing still, emotionless as though they'd been frozen. The silence was deafening. But still Rose was gone. The pain in my chest felt as though it would rip me in two. I was choking suddenly. I held my throat as I tried to breath and coughed. My hands turned red with blood from my violent coughing. A scream erupted from within my soul. The scream was so powerful it followed me out of my dream and into the waking world. Sitting in my bed at the academy covered in sweat I reached for my neck but there was nothing. No blood or wounds to cause such blood to drip from me. While nightmares were something I was very accustomed to, something about this one sent me into a tailspin. I knew it mean that my best friend, Rose Hathaway, was in trouble.

I jumped from my bed and ran for the door. For a moment I thought I would pull the door from its hinges. In the hallway of my dormitory I ran with every bit of strength in me. Down the stairs into the lobby I just kept running. There was someone I needed to see. The guardian sitting at the desk called me when I burst through the front door to the Moroi dorms. I could hear him running after me and speaking into a radio. I didn't care I needed to see Adrian. He would be able to tell me Rose was ok. That all this was just a bad dream and she was fine. I could hear the hurried footsteps of the guardians behind me as I approached the front doors to guest housing where Adrian was staying. That was where they caught hold of me and I screamed.

"No! I need to see Adrian Ivashkov!"

"Princess, we need to get you back to the dorm. Its midday."

The voice of the guardian speaking of Jeanine Hathaway, Rose's mother.

"Guardian Hathaway, it's about Rose. Please! I need to speak to Adrian. I think something has happened to her! You must let me see him!"

Jeanine's face paled at the sound of Rose's name. Their dysfunctional relationship aside, Rose was her daughter, the thought of something happening to her was more than any mother could bear. She turned to the Guardian on duty in guest housing, her voice was authoritative but trembled slightly.

"Make a call to Lord Ivashkov's room."

Everyone on campus was aware of Rose dropping out of school to hunt her mentor Guardian Belikov who'd been turned into a Strigoi. Before she left Rose was looked at as a hero for her actions to protect the school during a most unexpected Strigoi attach. During that time anyone could see Rose wasn't totally in the now with us. She had been bruiting and dark. Like she was lying in wait for something. On her 18th birthday I went to her dorm with a chocolate cake and a bottle of very expensive Champaign, courtesy of Adrian, but she wasn't there. I looked about her room and immediately noticed there were things missing. Her hiking boots we'd gotten from LLBean during our time out in real world Oregon. There were clothes haphazardly thrown one every surface and her army duffle bag and the picture of Dimitri and herself after one of their training sessions. To confirm her disappearance I went to the tin box where she kept her passport. My breath caught and a lump formed in my throat, it was gone.

The guardian at the desk took me from my thoughts. "Lord Ivashkov isn't answering."

I don't know what came over me, maybe a little of Rose's boisterous nature had finally rubbed off on me. "We better go and wake him then!" I bolted to the stairs running directly for Adrian's room. Guardian Hathaway was a step behind me but I knew it wasn't to subdue my pursuit. She was as concerned as I for her daughter's safety. I could sense the orah's from the other guardian's they were just as concerned. Rose grew up in St Vladimir's and was well liked by all even with her tendency to break the rules.

We reached Adrian's room. I balled my fist and struck the door over and over till a half sleeping Adrian Answered the door. "What?! Oh, Lissa, what's the matter cousin?"

Tears filled my eyes and threatened to spill from the corners but I held them back as best I could. "Adrian, I think something terrible has happened to Rose, I need you to find her through the dreams. Please I need to know if she's alright."

His face was grave, "Come in." Guardian Hathaway told the other guardians to return to their posts and that she would make sure I returned to my room. We entered Adrian's room and sat on the sofa of his suite. He began slowly, "I just saw her in a dream a few days ago, she was all dolled up with jewelry and a dress. It wasn't one I'd chosen for her, she said it was what she was asleep in."

Guardian Hathaway looked confused. To keep things moving I gave her a short and fast explanation. "Adrian has a spirit power of dream

walking. He can enter people's dreams and communicate with them as though they were right in front of him." She nodded and looked back at Adrian. He continued, "As I said, I didn't dress her in the dream as I sometimes do. I knew something was wrong, her orah was all over the place and she was acting drunk or stoned or something. Then just before she pulled herself out of the dream I saw…" he paused. Adrian's eyes shut and he bowed his head. "What? What did you see?" I all but shouted at him from my place on the sofa. Guardian Hathaway held onto my hand. I though she was trying to comfort me but the look on her face was fear. She held my hand because she was bracing herself.

"Rose had bruises on her neck. They looked like they may have been bight marks"

The gravity of this information couldn't have hit me harder that if it came in the form of a brick pile that was dropped on my head. My brain processed everything and no matter how it was placed, it all added up to the came conclusion: _jewelry, pretty dress, bruise on her neck, acting intoxicated, she was asleep in all of it._ "Adrian, are you telling me Rose has become a blood whore?" he said nothing.

Guardian Hathaway let go of my hand and stood up. She was pacing the room doing her best to keep her cool. "No, there has to be another explanation. My daughter wouldn't… she would never become one of those women. She's too strong. She, she's planning something. Maybe she is working her way to find Belikov."

I took a sharp intake of breath and covered my mouth. They both looked at me. "What is it Liss?" Adrian asked. Feeling that I could no longer sit, I jumped to my feet and joined in the pacing. "Guardian Hathaway, there's something you should know about Rose and Dimitri," she looked at my quizzically. "This mission Rose was so determined to undergo. It wasn't to lay to rest her beloved mentor as everyone believes. It was to fulfill a promise she made to the man she loved." I let the news settle on Jeanine before continuing with the rest of my thought.

"Rose and Dimitri, were lovers?"

It was Adrian's turn to share his knowledge "As far as I knew it was a mutual attraction that they agreed to ignore. I would tease her about it but truthfully didn't know how serious things were till she asked me to fund this quest of hers. After that I put the pieces together for myself."

"The day she left I tracked her down at the gates to the school and she told me the truth; that before he was taken, she and Dimitri had finally agreed they would not hold back their feelings any longer. That after graduation, they would make their relationship known and start a life together." I left out the part where rose lost her virginity to Dimitri only hours before the attack on the school. I'd keep that secrete for my best friend, wherever she was. Besides I didn't think that piece of information was necessary for her mother to know.

"The point I'm trying to make is, you're right. Rose is too strong to let herself become a blood whore for some random Strigoi. But if that Strigoi was Dimitri… and if she couldn't kill him… and her love for him was strong enough… then maybe."

"He killed my baby, didn't he?" Jeanine looked at the floor and rested against the arm of the sofa. Her arms wrapped around herself and tears fell from her eyes. She had sent Rose to the academy when she turned 3 years old and from what I remember, there wasn't much contact from that point on. Jeanine was a guardian for an important Moroi family and wasn't willing to give up her position to be a full time mom. Rose didn't speak of her mother often but when she did, there was always a note of resentment. A question she never dared to ask of Jeanine: _why didn't you choose me over your job?_ At this moment, seeing the tears slide down her cheeks, I knew Jeanine was asking herself the same question.

"Hold on ladies. We don't know for sure that something happened to Rose. This is all just speculation. Give me a moment to collect myself and I will look for her." Adrian went to his bed and closed his eyes.

One hour passed, then two, then three. Jeanine and I said nothing, neither of us willing to break Adrian's concentration. We were desperate for any news of our beloved Rose. Then he snapped out of bed like he was strangling on his own air. Jeanine and I both rushed to his side. His skin was soaked with cold sweat and he thrashed about grabbing at anything he felt.

"Adrian! You're awake! It's alright!" Slowly he calmed himself. I wrapped a blanket around his shoulders to stop his shivering. During all the time we spent working to develop our spirit, I had never seen him like this. My heart sank. This reaction could only mean one thing.

"I was looking for Rose, at first I thought she just wasn't asleep but then I found her. She was on a bridge asleep, but she wasn't asleep. She was… knocked out. There was so much blood. I called her name over and over but she didn't move. Then more blood was pouring from her throat and I saw Belikov. He was standing over her drinking. I tried to stop him, but my hands just went through him. He was killing her! He was killing her!"

The three of us were lost. This was the confirmation. Rose, my best friend, my sister was dead. We held each other and cried.

 _One week later_

For days after that horrific discovery, I laid in my bed consumed by my grief. I refused to see anyone or eat anything, content with slowly starving to death and joining my lost friend. She was always there for me and the one time she needed me to be there for her I faltered. When I first realized she had feelings for Dimitri was when she begged me to heal him if he was found alive. I told her I couldn't heal someone once they'd been turned Strigoi. The memory of that day haunted me. _'But Lissa, there's a chance they took him as food, we don't know he's a dead yet. You have to! If I can find him and bring him back to the Academy you can heal him! He'll be shadow kissed like me but he'll be alive.'_ She was desperate, _'Rose, I'm sorry, I cant do it. It would nearly kill me to heal someone with that many injuries.'_ I knew then that Dimitri would likely never be found. Why didn't I tell her I would at least try? A week later Rose was gone and now I would never see her again.

The sound of my door opening stole me from my miserable memories. "I said I don't want to see anyone!" I shouted not bothering to look in the direction of the door.

"So I've heard." The voice belonged to Christian. He sat on the bed and tugged on my arm forcing me to face him. "What do you want Christian?"

"I want you to get up, take a shower, get dressed and come with me to Rose's memorial service in a few hours. If anyone should be there, it's you."

"How can I go to a memorial service for someone I failed?" The tears were back. I sobbed into my pillow. Christian's hand gently stroked my back. "You didn't fail Rose, she was a force to be reckoned with. When she made up her mind to do something, she went ahead and did it. There was nothing you could have don't to stop her." Christian had fought along side Rose during the attack that started this chain of events. I looked him square in the eye like what he said was the stupidest thing anyone could say.

"Of course I couldn't have stopped her! But I should have gone with her! If it were you who had been taken off and turned Strigoi, she would have followed me to every dark corner of the globe as I searched for you. She wouldn't have failed me in my time of need!"

I turned back over away from him.

"So that's what you feel so terrible about? That you didn't follow Rose into the jaws of death? Be realistic Lissa. You are a Moroi Princess with absolutely no fighting experience. I bet you'd break your hand if you ever tried to punch a human. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if you were to face a Strigoi."

My back still to him I challenged his judgment, "You are a Moroi as well Christian, yet you fought Strigoi when the school was attacked. You helped Rose when she needed help."

"That was different, I'm a fire user. Fire kills Strigoi. You are a spirit user. Aside from healing her battle wounds, what help could you have been to Rose out there?"

I quieted, he was right. I had no fight experience. My use of spirit abled me to heal wounds and bring my best friend back from the dead once. I also had limited control over the four elements but what good would that have done. Very little if I were honest with myself. "I guess we'll never know"

Christian shifted and lay down next to me, holding me in his arms. A few weeks ago he had broken up with me over some very poor behavior on my part. He had no reason to be here right now, yet here he was. "I'm so sorry Christian, please forgive me for what I did before. To this day I don't know what I was thinking."

"Shhhh, none of that matters now Lissa. I never stopped loving you. Now all I want is to help you remember how it used to be and move on with your life. There are so many things you can do. Go to college, take your seat on the council, make the changes you were always talking about. It's what Rose would have wanted."

Again he was right. Not just about what Rose would have wanted but about how I can do things, things that would change our world for the better. I sprang out of the bed electrically charged with my brilliant idea.

"That's right! I can change things! I will change things! Christian, during the attack on the school when you fought with Rose, how did it feel?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean how did you feel? Were you scared, exhilarated, terrified? Tell me!"

"I was all of those things. I had never used my magic on that grand of a scale before."

"Exactly! Our society lives on the belief that Dhampir protect and Moroi stay protected. But guardians cannot be everywhere at once. And even if they are exactly where they need to be, they can still be killed. Who will protect the Moroi then?" Christian looked like he was getting my meaning. He answered my question.

"The Moroi will protect themselves. Lissa that's brilliant but no one on the council will follow you. They are too immersed in the old ways. My aunt Tasha has been fighting for the same notion for years"

I paused and thought, and then it hit me. "If their children will stand behind me, they will have no choice." I turned and went to the shower; I had a memorial service to prepare for.

The memorial service was held in the school church. The entire student body and faculty here in attendance. Before the alter where flowers and pictures of Rose. Some were blown up images from pictures she had posted on her dorm wall. One of them was a selfie the two of us took one Halloween on the outside. Our faces were covered in pink and purple glitter makeup. We had been fairies. I would have given anything to back to that moment and do it all again.

I took my seat in the front pew next to Christian and Jeanine; Adrian sat on the other side of Christian. The front pew was meant for the honoree's closest friends and family. Next to Jeanine was a man I had never seen before. He was dressed in a sharp all black suit with a purple tie and matching pocket square. His gold jewelry glittered off his tan complexion and dark hair. He held Jeanine's hand and looked somber but serious at the same time. He couldn't have been a relative he looked nothing like Jeanine. But something about his hair and skin tone puzzled me. I think he could feel me staring since he took his eyes from one of Rose's photo's and look back at me. I turned away, not wanting to be rude but then he spoke to me.

"Were you two good friends?"

His accent was strange, Middle Eastern I thought first but not quite. I answered "Yes, like sisters."

"Was there anything you could have done to stop her?" He was holding back tears I noted. I shook my head and looked down.

He nodded is head and returned his eyes to the photo's. "She was beautiful, I wish I could have done more for her."

I saw Jeanine squeeze his hand tighter as she tried to reassure him. "You did what you could Abe. She was so stubborn, so passionate. She followed her own path no matter what anyone told her. She got that from you."

The realization was shocking. This was Rose's father! From what I know they had never met so what was Jeanine talking about when she told him, 'you did what you could'? The time had come when Friends and family were invited to say a few words about the departed. Sensing none of us were ready just yet, Adrian stood and walked to the podium.

"From the moment I met Rose she took my breath away. I knew there was no one like her in the world. I knew I'd met the girl of my dreams. There were a lot of bizarre rumors that Rose and I were in love and secretly engaged. I'm not ashamed to admit that I started those rumors. All 5'7" of pure mean feisty beauty, she was everything I wanted. I thought that I started the rumors somehow she would want them to be true. I was in love with her, but she couldn't love me back. Before she left, she came to me and asked for my help. I agreed only on the condition that when she came back, she would give me a chance. I will never get that chance now and I will spend the rest of my days in love with a memory. But I will keep that memory alive in my heart. Rose will never die; she will live on. In all our hearts and memories, she will be with us always."

Jeanine sobbed into her hands. Abe was the next to go up.

He took a white handkerchief from his back pocket and dabbed his eyes before he spoke.

"Many of you don't know me but others here do. Those of you, who do know me, know that I am not a nice man. I am not one for sentiment or kind gestures. But today… today I am simply a man who is morning the loss of his child. I only saw Rose in person twice in her life. Neither of those times did she know who I was to her. The first time was the day she was born, I held her in my arms and thought this is the most beautiful child that has ever lived. She held my finger in her tiny hand and looked me right in the eyes. They say babies that small cannot make eye contact but my Rose could. For a small eternity we looked into each other's eyes and I didn't want to let her go. Her mother and I had agreed before she was born it would be best that when our daughter was old enough, she be sent here to be raised by the academy and grow strong. But for a moment in the hospital I was ready to throw that plan out the window and never let that little beauty out of my sight. When the nurse came to take her from me, it took all my strength to hand her over. The cry that came from that little throat felt like a knife in my heart. It was like she knew I was leaving her. I will regret handing her back to that nurse for the rest of my life. If I hadn't, maybe she would still be here and I could have one memory of her calling me her father."

Abe came back to his place and sat but he did not take Jeanine's hand. I figured she would go up next but she just sat there, crying into her hands. "I can't go up there. I can't say goodbye to my baby." She whispered. Feeling strength take hold of me, I stood up and readied myself for the firestorm.

"Rose Hathaway was my best friend in this world. She was the sister I was not born with. I can't count how many time we found ourselves in trouble for one reason or another. But She always found a way to get us out of trouble too. She saw us through juvenile bullies, the outside world, madness, Strigoi. She was always there. She was the strength we all wish we had and the honor we all dream to live by. She never failed me on our adventures. I can't help but feel standing here today, that I ultimately failed her. A few hours ago I felt my failing her was because the day she left school I didn't go with her. Now I feel I failed her because even if I had joined her on this final adventure, I would have been of no use to her. If anything my presence I would have gotten us both killed… because I don't know how to fight. If there is anything Rose's death taught me it's that I refuse to loose any more friends without being able to fight for them as much as they fight for me. Any one of you can come up here and share a story of how this amazing girl touched your life. But why bother if when the day is over nothing will change. I don't know about any of you, but I will honor my sister by holding onto her memory and using it to make myself as strong and honorable as she was. Moroi, Dhampir, it doesn't matter. We all need to know how to protect ourselves. So when we the day comes that your best friend needs you to fight by their side… absolutely nothing will be able to stop you from making sure you both come home when the battle ends." I don't now how long I stood there but at some point Christian stood up. Adrian stood too. Then a few rows back our friend Jill whom we affectionately called Jailbait stood. Tasha Ozera stood too. Eventually every student and teacher stood on their feet. They all felt my words. I knew we were standing on the precipice of change. I closed my eyes and sent my thoughts to Rose wherever she was now, ' _we stand for you Rose. I only wish you could be here to see this'_


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

 _Dimitri_

It had been 3 weeks since Rose and I took down Galina and Ivan. We were met with little resistance from the worker ants who carried out jobs for their departed bosses. Now they did our biding. Tonight My Roza and I sat like the King and Queen we were always meant to be. In the mezzanine of one of dead Ivan's 6 nightclubs we enjoyed the show of writhing half dressed bodies on the dance floor. To our right and left were the corpses of 2 Moroi boys, both royal, no older than 19.

The boys had heard of our hostile takeover and were looking to trade their family's vast wealth for a high-ranking position with us. The darkness called to them, they said, fools. We gave them a choice by throwing a coin on the ground and telling them whoever grabbed the coin first would be allowed entry. A silly game Rose had seen on a putrid vampire television show. It was purely a source of entertainment for us since we drained them both before either one even touched the coin which was still on the floor somewhere. Their blood was heavenly. Filled with so much more flavor and power than the street punks we killed on our first night as man and wife. One may compare the two Moroi boys to filet mignon, where as the street punks were fast food burgers: both food, both delicious, both meat; but one of significantly better quality than the other.

Pyrotechnics danced along with the music from the band on stage. I felt Rose rest her head on my shoulder as she handed he a small glass. The glass had a layer of fire floating on the surface of the green liquid that filled it, Absinthe. Mixing with the green of the drink were drops of blood from the Moroi boys. This had become our little tradition after a significant victory. A drink of the green fairy mixed with the blood of our victims. Tonight we celebrated the end of a conspiring traitor against our reign. His name was Alek.

For days we had been hearing whispers of a lower level drug dealing Strigoi who had been making noise against us. He was trying to gain support to rise against my Roza and I and bring us down. Of course I expected there would be some opposition. Rose and I discussed the possibilities in between our time in bed, or where ever else I took her. We had been tracing the whispers but it was one of the still living clan leaders, Boris, who gave us the exact where and when we could find the rebel. Boris knew what we were up to and thought giving up this little fool would keep him off our hit list. It wouldn't, but I let him think as such.

We arrived at the meth lab where Alek was giving one of his _man of the people_ speeches. I couldn't say exactly what words he used to stir the minds of the minions standing around him. I honestly wasn't paying attention. As we approached the small crowd of 20 Strigoi I clapped my hands slowly. He deserved a small round of applause for his valiant efforts. "Well said Alek, you are good with words. I would like to have found a place for you in my direct services. It is unfortunate that you use your talents against us." I gestured to myself and Rose who stood to my right. Her cold eyes surveyed the weak-minded listeners as well as Alek. "It's Alek isn't it?" He nodded looking like her was afraid but didn't want to look it in front of his would be followers. I walked closer and saw he was wearing Army Issue dog tags

"You were no Moroi before your Awakening, you're too stocky. I'm guessing human, ex-military. For where?" Alex hesitated before answering.

"Czech,"

I nodded as I circled him like a shark. Through our bond I told rose what to do. She stood outside the circle of Strigoi ready to spring into action at my command. "Alek, I'm going to guess some things about you. If I'm wrong, I will walk out of here and let you finish your speech. I'm guessing you were discharged from the army, probably received a metal of some sort for bravery. Once all the pomp and circumstance ended you returned to whatever whole in the ground you called home. Finding work is a nightmare for a vet plus I'll bet you carried baggage from whatever earned you that metal of honor. So you started drinking, then you started drugging. You eventually pissed off the wrong Strigoi so they Awoke you and made you their slave. This brings us to right now. You hear of the opportunity my beautiful wife and I took for ourselves and you got jealous. You ask yourself _'why isn't that me?'_ The answer is simple Alek. This isn't you because you are a soldier, not a leader. Someone points you in the direction of a fight and off you go, and no amount of pretty words will change that about you. Now tell me, am I wrong?" Alek looked to the ground. My evaluation was 100% correct. I told Rose through our bond to slowly approach him from the rear. I continued, "Answer me do you really feel that any of these followers of yours will defend you if I end you right now? Is this little plot of yours worth all the pleasures you enjoy since your Awakening? Im sure things are much better than they were for you as a name less, faceless, shell shocked ex warrior with no more battles to fight." He met my eyes and I saw that I had crushed him to the size of an insect. He was broken. Most likely he wouldn't make noise against our reign any longer. I put my hand on his shoulder and walked away. I heard Alek breathe a sigh of relief. The sigh was abruptly cut off as my Roza unsheathed the silver machete she had concealed beneath her trench coat and sliced off Alek's head. _'Can't leave any loose ends, can we?'_ she asked. "No, we don't leave any loose ends my love," She returned to my side and we turned to exit the meth lab. As we walked away I spoke a command to those who had been listening to Alek moments earlier. "Take his body to the roof. If you were thinking of following him, say on the roof with him," I stopped and turned back to face the crowd. "The sun will be a much less painful way to end than if I catch any of you taking up his mantel. Now get back to work." My Roza and I walked out and back to our car. It was the green Ferrari tonight. The engine purred like a kitten as we took our seats and drove off to our next stop for the night.

The memories of tonight's victory brought a grin to my mouth as I turned to Rose. We put out the fires from glasses of bloody Absinthe, toasted and drank. I threw my glass on the floor and pulled her to me. Her lips tasted of blood, Absinthe and Rose. She tasted like heaven. I bit her lip and lifted her onto the mezzanine ledge, her back facing the dance floor. My hands parted her legs as I placed myself. She wore a short skirt with boots and a tank top. The skin of her legs was so soft and warm. ' _My warrior woman, my only love.'_ I kissed her deeper as I took of my black duster. She knew what I wanted, her hands going to work on my black leather pants. The railing brought Rose to the perfect height for me to have her. I shivered from the sensation once I slipped inside her warmth. I could never get enough of this no matter how long we lived. I wrapped her legs around my waist and backed us to the couch against the wall behind me. My Roza sat astride as I rocked her hips harder. With the dim lighting and loud music no one would know what was going on in our little private party. I'd told the staff not to disturb us under any condition. My hands ran up and down her amazing body and she rode my shaft stopping on her ribs, breasts, neck and face. Her hands gripped my hair as we looked into each other's eyes and spoke through our bond. _'My Roza, nothing feels better than being inside you.'_ Her lips crushed mine, I knew she was getting close, so was I. _'I wanted you for so long Dimitri, now I need you all the time. We were so stupid denying ourselves for so long'_ I reached down and pleasured her with my thumb while she drove is both to our release. There it was, that sweet euphoria that could only come from being with Rose. We steadied and kissed again. I needed this woman more than I needed blood or power. Without her, all that we have accomplished over the weeks would have been empty.

We fixed our clothing, exchanging grins and taunting looks. There would be more where that came from when we turned in for the day. What she said while we were still enthralled in our passion was true. We had been stupid to deny ourselves. I thought back to when I first saw my Rose. I was still a Dhampir. My team of guardians and I had tracked down Rose and the princess to a college campus in Portland. I was on the roof across the street from the campus housing where they were supposedly staying looking for a visual confirmation. That was when I saw Rose step out of the bathroom. She was fresh from the shower, her wet hair dripping water on her smooth tan skin. I knew I should have looked away but I couldn't. She dropped her towel and went about her business dressing for bed. Her body mesmerized me. Her long legs, her toned stomach, her perfect slightly larger than proportionate breasts; there was no looking away.

I memorized everything I could knowing I'd never be able to feel that perfect body beneath my hands. My ridiculous senses of duty making me turn away from this perfect creature. I remember weighing the consequences in my head as I appreciated her nakedness from afar. My position at the Academy, my reputation as a guardian, her age all the things that dictated why she would never be mine. What a fool I'd been.

Deep in my memories I didn't notice Rose looking at me. "So you peeping tom'd me back in Portland?" I let out a laugh. She had been reading my thoughts. "Why didn't you ever tell me that?" She asked.

"There was nothing to tell. I wanted you from the first day I saw you. You know this, you just didn't know that on that first day, I happened to see quite a lot of you." I winked at her and slid my fingertips up her thigh. She giggled but did nothing to stop me as my hands inched closer to her panty line. Begrudgingly I stood on my feel and reached for her. As much as I'd love to go back home and ravage my wife some more, there was one more stop we needed to make.

We got into the car and I revved the engine. "When exactly do I get to drive?" I hit the gas so hard we both felt the speed send us deeper into our seats. "When I feel confident enough that you can drive like this, and not get us both killed." She stuck her tongue out at me and I caught her chin. My reflexes so fast she didn't see it coming. I pulled her face to mine and kissed her hard not looking at the road at all. All of my Strigoi senses were driving the car. I pulled back still looking in her eyes. My peripheral vision was as accurate as my central focus. On my skin I could feel every curve in the road, every oncoming vehicle. The sound of the engine bouncing off every solid object we were near passing acting like a kind of sonar, sending the message directly into my hand as I gripped the wheel. "Ok _2 Fast 2 Furious_ , brownie points cause that is seriously a cool skill. But I still want a turn to drive." I wiggled my eyebrow at her and drove on.

We arrived at our final destination for the night. It was a high priced whorehouse that was previously one of Galina's top cash cows located in a posh part of the city. We were here to address a problem that was developing from one of the whores. She was human and apparently not too happy with her position. A number of customers had left her bed with less than they came in with… and I'm not referring to their wallets. Already she castrated 2 of the men whom, as I understood, were repeating admirers of hers. Both had their memories changed so they thought they were victims of a psychotic homeless person. The first one earned the whore a beating; the second earned her an evaluation for death.

The elevator doors opened and a tall slender red head wearing a teal jumpsuit with padded shoulders greeted us. Her name was Zosha. Zosha was the Madam of this pleasure house. I remember she had been a friend of Galina long before Rose and I killed her. At first I thought Zosha would challenge our authority just out of respect for her dead friend but she did nothing of the sort. It made me second-guess her motives how she so easily accepted that we were now in charge. It wouldn't matter for long since Zosha would be fired from the position very, very soon.

"Master Belikov, Mistress Rose, welcome."

We nodded to her welcoming and stepped inside. The penthouse was designed like a 1980 yuppie's wet dream. Monochromatic furniture and grey marble sculptures ate up everything the eye could see. The stark whites and flat blacks of the decor would make a normal person feel intimidated upon first entry. As we entered I took note of the 3 men sitting on the black leather sofa to our left. Two of them appeared to be middle-aged businessmen probably here on a work related trip looking for some all access fun. The third was an older gentleman. His clothing was shabby but clean. I would guess he was a repeat customer who lived locally. They all looked pathetic. They were pathetic as far as I was concerned. Good for nothing passed their money and their blood.

Zosha led us to her office. A white room with pale pink wall-to-wall carpet, 2 cream colored sofa's that faced each other. Past the sofa's was a glass topped computer desk with a silver MacBook Pro opened facing a cream leather office chair. Very feminine and very nauseating. I took a seat on one of the sofas. Rose sat to my right and Zosha sat opposite us.

"Master Belikov, Mistress Rose, Thank you for coming this night. I realize you are both very busy. As I have already told you earlier, one of our girls has castrated 2 of her repeat callers and I feel the best response to this behavior would be to eliminate her all together. But as this establishment is under your ownership, it is your final decision."

Through our bond I could see Rose was reminded of Headmistress Kirova back at St Vlad's. She was right. This did sort of feel like an assembly gathering to determine if a student should be expelled from school. I had to smirk at her comparison. Rose let out a little chuckle herself. Zosha looked confused at being left out of our inside joke. I nodded my head "Bring the girl in, I would like to speak to her myself."

Zosha stood up and went behind her desk to a pearly phone. In Polish, she told whoever was on the other end of the line to send the _suka_ into her office. Suka, polish for bitch.

Less than a minute later a thin specimen of female was brought into the office. She was incredible skinny, like she was starving. She mousey brown hair and gray eyes looked sad, like a doll that no one wanted to play with anymore. To top off her look, she was dressed in a white baby doll nightie with white fur trim. _Christ, what's with all the white?_ Rose spoke through our bond. I shook my head and addressed the girl in Russian.

"What is your name female?" She replied in English, she was American.

"My name is Tanya." Her tone was defiant. It was obvious she had been beaten not more than a day ago. Her right eye was purple, swollen from the inside of her brow to below her cheekbone. Her lower lip was split open and there were bruises up and down her arms. She looked like shit.

"Why did you castrate those men Tanya?" I switched to English keeping my tone cold and calm.

"They had it coming" she had some pair of balls this girl.

"They had it coming? How do you figure?" This was getting entertaining.

"I've been promised for over a year that if I put my time in, I would be awakened. Every time I ask when it will happen, I get hit. So I lashed out."

It was Rose who spoke this time, "So you're saying the Strigoi had it coming, not the men?" The girls looked at Rose and nodded. I couls sense the wheels turning in my Roza's head. _'What are you up to my love?'_ I asked in my thoughts. _'I have an idea, go with me on this'_

"Leave us," Rose commanded Zosha. She sounded like a Queen. Being her supportive King I stood and escorted Zosha out of the room and closed the door behind her. I knew Rose saw an opportunity here, but I wasn't sure what it was. I stood by the door and silently watched my wife as she unfolded her plan.

"Sit Tanya." The girl sat where Zosha had sat only a moment ago. She still wore her air of defiance but it was clear she was getting apprehensive. Not much of a difference from Alec when we busted him, only Tanya felt she was right in her actions. Alec was just jealous and knew he was wrong.

"You said over a year. How much over a year has it been that your were promised an awakening?" Tanya wasn't sure how to answer Rose's question but soon resolved to tell the truth.

"One year 8 months, 3 weeks and 4 days…"

"Not that you're keeping track or anything right? How did you end up here?"

"Is this when I pour my heart out to you and we end up hugging? Cause the touchy feely crap really isn't my thing." I could tell Rose appreciated the girl's honesty but sympathy was the last thing that was going through my beloved's mind.

Rose shifted her sitting position so she was resting her elbows on her knees looking directly into Tanya's eyes. Her glare into Tanya's face was ice cold. "Lets get one thing straight Tanya. I couldn't care less about how or why you ended up here. In my opinion, any female who is stupid enough to become a prostitute deserves everything that comes with the territory, beatings included. So there will be no hugging bullshit when this conversation is over. There will however, be a choice. If you answer my questions to my satisfaction, you live. Get it?" Tanya sat deeper in her seat and looked at the ground. She was preparing herself to be scrutinized. Rose continued.

"How many girls in this place were promised the same deal?"

"All of us."

"How many?"

"28 here, more at other houses. We were all promised the same deal. They keep us high on the bights so we don't complain much. But I'm sick of the lies."

"If you had to guess a number, how many of you are there in total?"

Tanya paused counting in her head. "200 plus in the houses, 100 or so in the street and in the clubs." Rose's idea was clear as day. I half smiled at her logic as she spoke the last part of her plan to Tanya.

"Last question. What if I were to tell you I would Awaken you tomorrow night?"

Tanya was shocked, "What's the catch?"

"Smart girl, the catch is when I do, you work for us. You are completely loyal to us. The moment you even think of betraying us, I will beat you, drain you and revive you over and over until I get board and set you on fire. The last thing you will see will be my smiling face roasting marshmallows over your charring corpse. You will remain a prostitute but you will be one on your own terms who has tirs with the future Strigoi Queen. Understood?"

Tanya looked at Rose with total shock and awe. "When you come to my house tomorrow night for your Awakening, bring all your friends with you. We will awaken you all and you will make sure they all know exactly what I told you they must do in order to buy their Awakening's. The price will be their 100% loyalty. One more thing, Look over at the gentleman standing behind you." Tanya's eye went to me. _'Roza, now you are just being cruel, I love it.'_

"He's beautiful isn't he? That long soft hair, those big muscles, that strong jaw. He looks like a man who knows how to rock your world doesn't he?" The girls eyes ate me up, I played along giving her a teasing look challenging her stair. "Yes he does," she said. Rose finished her hilarious set up. "Go ahead, take a really good look at him. His hands, his strong thighs, that devastating bulge in his pants. Take a really good long hard look. Now listen carefully. If I ever catch you or one of for skanky little friends looking at him this way again or God forbid trying to act upon any inappropriate impulses… I will use a melon scooper to pop out you right eyes and keep them in a pretty glass jar. Make sure they all know that as well."

Rose got to her feet and we called Zosha back into the room. Before Zosha could saw a word I snapped her neck. Rose retrieved the machete from inside her coat and cut Zohsa's head off. As we left I told the guards what to do with Zosha's body and that the houses would all be closed for the rest of the week while we made some changes. The changes were going to be fun, particularly because the biggest change ahead was My Roza securing us an army. All of which were eager for a new life they had been promised and denied for long enough.

If Greece could stand against the world with 300 bloodthirsty Spartan warriors, we would conquer it with 300 bloodthirsty Strigoi hookers. As ridiculous as that sounds, the truth was, things were working out even better than I thought possible.


	7. Chapter 7

Lissa

4 months later

" _21, 22, 23…"_ The muscles in my arms burned from the repetition. Up and down, up and down. A few months ago I couldn't do a pull up to save my life, _"37, 38, 39…"_ Fatigue setting in, I focused on my breathing to cool the heat running through my body. _"48, 49, 50!"_ My new Nike free's made a light thump as I hit the floor. Martial arts, weight training and calisthenics done; now it was off to the track where I'd push my body even farther. The Montana summer heat weighed down my endurance as my feet took me closer to the starting line. Over the last four months I completely dedicated my time and energy to training both physically and transcendentally. There was no doubt in my mind that one day Dimitri would cross my path; and when that day came, I would finish what Rose started and kill him.

As I approached I saw Tasha and Christian waiting for me on the lawn next to the track. 'There's my star student!" Tasha greeted me with pride. Once the student population of St Vladimir's won the fight for the Moroi defense development; it was a no brainer that Tasha Ozera would head the program. For years she had been trying to make headway with the concept that Moroi should learn how to protect themselves over being guarded by our Dhamir brothers and sisters. We had originally fought for the training to be intergraded immediately and for it to be a condition in order to graduate. But as could be expected, the Moroi royals didn't appreciate their entire world changing over night. So we agreed to introduce the training to the middle school and lower classmen of the high school as a requirement with an alternative arrangement for the high school upper classmen. Being that I and the rest of the Moroi in my class were set to graduate in a matter of weeks once the program was approved, we were given the option to remain in St Vladimir's for an additional 2 semesters to partake in the training or forgo the training all together and graduate as scheduled. Only about 25% of the graduating Moroi opted to stay. The program was set to start in September but Tasha pushed to have optional classes through the summer to give the participating Moroi a leg up in the fall.

"Hey there, what are you two doing here? Classes are done for the day; it's open work out now. If you want to chat you're going to have to run with me, I'm on an endorphin high and I cant afford to let it fizzle out." I started my pace on the track and Tasha ran after me and waived for Christian to join us. "You girls have fun, I know better than to interrupt the terminator during her workout!" I ran backwards and blew him a kiss as he got farther and farther from view. He caught my kiss and made his way to the benches that were situated near the start line. " What's up Tasha? I know you don't just want to enjoy my company with some cardio." Tasha took a moment before answering me. "Does something have to be up for me to want to get some bonus time with my best student?" I gave her a quizzical look then put my focus back to my run, "Considering I've been your student for months and this is the first time we've run together unscheduled, yes, now spill." "Good point, ok here it goes. I want to offer you a job heading the Moroi defense program with me." I stopped running and she continued.

"Its growing Lissa, and its going to blow up in a matter of months. Rose's murder shook up the entire community. If one Dhampir can walk away from her duty and into the arms of death, what would stop any other Dhampir from walking away for any other reason? The answer is nothing; they have no reason to protect the Moroi except out of habit and tradition. Human's can reproduce with Dhampir just as Moroi can. The outside world has changed; they are beginning to see that isolation isn't the only way to live anymore. Especially when Dhampir can blend in with the human world so much easier than we can. And more power to them if they choose to do so. The Moroi need this program in every school. I honestly think they should offer classes in the royal court as well. But I can't do it alone." My head spun a little.

It was true; the death of my best friend was a huge blow to the vampire world. Not because so many people knew or cared for her, but because of the story behind her death. A Dhampir girl with promise to be one of the greatest guardians ever, killed in battle while trying to fulfill a vow she made with the man she loved. Many Moroi saw her story as a betrayal. They feel she turned her back on her primary reason for existing. A big no-no in their eyes. On the flip side, the Dhampir community saw her actions as heroic and romantic. They were beginning to think of she and Dimitri as a modern Romeo & Juliette. Except Romeo didn't kill Juliette then continue for eternity as a monster. Both sides dramatized the details to suit their agenda's and while both had aspects of the truth, neither of them understood what really happened. If I were truthful with myself, I didn't grasp the veracity of the story fully either. As far as the world was concerned their saga was over and a new one was beginning. But I continued to have a guttural instinct that things weren't completely concluded with and there was something more on its way that had yet to be revealed.

Tasha was more than right; she was completely spot-on. The two species of vampire were on the verge of a major split. A split that could change our world it forever. Another thing she was right about was that she could not take on this task alone. "What would you have me do?" I asked feeling the severity of my new charge. Tasha smiled, "I want you to be our ambassador. Your words at Rose's memorial are what started this whole movement. You have a gift Lissa, a way with words that does not require anyone to write speeches for you. You're not an actress; you're the real thing. More than that, I know you believe in what we are doing which makes this position ideal for you, and you ideal for it. I've asked Christian as well. Since he fought Strigoi personally, he will be a true representative of what this program has to offer. I want the two of you to be the Moroi faces of this movement."

I had no idea what my face and body language said as I stood before Tasha. Her argument was full of passion. I began to think of all the lives we could save, both Moroi and Dhampir, if we could successfully make this prospectus part of every school in our community. My eyes began to tear as I thought of Rose. How sad that her death is what brought on this revolution. Yet without her death, this would not be possible. My cheeks felt cool as my tears escaped the corner of my eyes. Tasha grabbed my hand in an attempt to comfort me. "Lissa, if this is too much for you, I completely…" "No, it's not that," I interrupted "I just wish Rose could be here to see this, she would be so proud." Tasha gave me a small smile. I knew she too had feelings for Dimitri and wasn't the biggest fan of Rose in life. But in death, Tasha had come to an understanding with the romance between my best friend and their shared interest. She swallowed hard and held my hand a bit tighter. "She is here Lissa, and I know that she is just as proud of you as I am. She would want this for you and for our people, Dhampir and Moroi alike."

I looked up to the sky, straining to see something, anything. When that failed, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath; there was nothing I could feel of my best friend's unearthly presence. No sign that she was still _with me_ as many say about their lost loved one's. She was truly gone. But I was still here, and we had work to do. I looked at Tasha with newfound purpose. "When do we start?" Tasha's face changed from sympathetic to determined, "We begin the primary tour in January when the fall semester ends. We will be traveling to different school's and speaking to the parents, faculty students etc. to gain support. But before that, we need to make this semester spectacular. Otherwise, there will be no point in a support tour."

It made perfect sense, without a stellar semester on record; we would have hardly any argument for the movement. That was when I saw Christian walking to join us. "I'm guessing things went well?" he asked already knowing the answer to his question. "Our girl is on board!" "I told you she would be." He wrapped his arm around my neck and kissed my temple. "Get ready kids, our mission is to make the next 5 months remarkable. Then we are off to meet with the officials in St Basil's Academy." Tasha's news stunned me. St Basil's Academy was a school much like St Vladimir's only it was in Russia. It was also the school Dimitri had attended and I would venture to guess any siblings he had went there as well. They may even still be students there. On top of everything, Russia is where Rose had gone in search of Dimitri after he was forcibly turned Strigoi. We never recovered Rose's body but it's quite safe to say that Russia is where any of her remains would be. Both Christian and Tasha noticed the change in my mood. "You alright love?" Christian asked but my head was too overloaded to hear him. "Lissa?" Tasha's sharp authoritative tone cut through my thoughts. My eyes snapped in her direction. 'Is there a problem?" She was concerned but masked it well with a firm look. "No, No problem. Russia, here we come." That nagging instinct reared up again. Something colossal was unquestionably in the works.

Rose

The music playing from the stereo speakers echoed off the walls of the indoor Roman swimming pool where I and the best of my army celebrated. It was official. We were now the leaders of the Strigoi underground of Russia. I climbed the diving board fully dressed in my black jeans and ripped 'Dead Boys' t-shirt. My high heals had been discarded at the base on the ladder. When I reached the top, I took a moment to survey the sight before me. The lovely swimming pool, which was blue and clean only moments ago, was now a deep shade of pink. My soldiers drank the prey they brought home with them and washed the blood off their bodies by jumping in and out of the darkening water. Sounds of rock music, laughter and screams filled the air. We were elated! I stuck two fingers in my mouth and let out a loud whistle calling their attention. All the sound died down as they looked to me.

"Tonight we celebrate our biggest victory yet! We own this country!" They cheered loudly. "Now it's time to mark victory with revels! So lets party like rock stars!" The cheering grew deafening as I jumped into the water still fully dressed in a perfect swan dive. As I swam under the deep pink water, I felt my husband approaching the entrance to the pool area. His mood was stern, not at all what he should be feeling after our epic triumph. I reached the surface of the water as the doors to the poolroom swung open. Everyone froze. Dimitri's entire body exuded commanding energy.

"So, this is how my solders carry themselves after tonight's events? Like children on summer vacation?" He shook his head. He looked disgusted by what he saw. "We are on the verge of the greatest revolution this world has ever seen and you…" he waived his hand dismissively at the sight before him. That was when I felt his bluff and cracked a smile at his rouse. "… Bring so few refreshments?" He signaled to the door and 20 beautiful women in bikinis walked in with huge smiles on their faces. They had been compelled to think they were going to an exclusive secret mansion pool party and that the sight before them was totally normal. The cheering and music started again as Dimitri gave his approval. "Enjoy my friends, for tomorrow night the real work begins!"

I climbed out of the pool and joined my beloved. "Looks like you are having fun." He said when I reached him. "Care to go for a swim?" He chuckled, his beautiful fangs gleaming. "I'll pass, I had something else in mind for us. That is if you're up for it." I saw images in his head of a very provocative nature but something was hidden in them. A blur I couldn't get around. Before I could ask, he said "What kind of man would I be if I couldn't surprise you once in a while?" With my curiosity peaked, I took his hand and followed him to our suite. I could smell something delicious, as we got closer to the door. There was someone in our room. Dimitri opened the door and I saw… her. A young girl dressed in a white night gown with long blond hair and green eyes. I heart skipped a beat. For a moment I could have sworn it was Lissa! But upon further examination I could see it wasn't; although the resemblance was uncanny. Dimitri wrapped his arms around me from behind and spoke softly in my ear. "Do you like her? I picked her out especially for you."

It was then that the blur Dimitri had been casting in his thoughts became clear. The images were scandalous. Of he and I sharing her in bed. "Is she a surprise for me, or for you?" I could feel his smile at my ear as he kissed my skin. "For both of us. I know I'm the only man you have been with and I doubt things with Lissa went past her bights. But I know how close you once were. I know you once had love for her, not the same love we share but love nonetheless. Do you remember why I came here once I was awakened?"

"To keep away from me."

"Yes, I was stupid. I left you behind when I should have taken you the moment my transformation was complete."

"So you're saying I should go after Lissa?"

"No, I'm saying your path is bound to cross hers one day. This uprising of ours won't stay quiet forever. One day the court will get word and Lissa will know you are not truly dead, as we have led people to believe. It will only be a matter of time before she will seek us out." I'd been using the alias Violet since the night we killed Zosha and began awakening our army. Everyone else who knew me as Rose was either compelled to forget or removed from the picture. The plan was to make the Dhampir/Moroi world think I was dead until we attained full power. Then we'd reveal ourselves as King and Queen of the Strigoi.

Dimitri continued, "You need to know if you should kill her or awaken her. Personally I say kill her. There is no room in our lives for a sidekick who cannot take care of herself. She will make a terrible Strigoi and will most likely get killed anyway. So I found you a doppelganger to practice. Enjoy her my love, and if you feel it, we will take her together one way or another."

His tone when he said the words _'take her'_ was suggestive; it gave me chills. I'd never thought about being with a girl before. The thought of a threesome was even more foreign. Lissa had been like a sister to me. But what Dimitri said began to make sense. One day I would see Lissa again. When I did I would have to know what to do. Kill her or awaken her. Would I choose to rekindle our friendship as Strigoi or put her out of her pampered existence? Would I add a third wheel to my relationship with Dimitri, or drain her dry?

We turned to Lissa's look alike. Dimitri urged me forward into the room. The girl was staring blissfully at the image he had conjured for her. It was of a warm sunny beach.

He went to the bed and began compelling her to think her name was Vasilisa Dragomir, _'But you like to be called Lissa… Her name is Rose, you are best friends…"_ He finished his compulsion and the girl snapped out of it. She looked confused at first but when she looked at me she smiled and reached for my hand, "Rose? I missed you." Even her voice was remarkably like Lissa's. I sat with her on the bed completely stunned by this experience. I had just entered the Twilight Zone. She laughed, "Why are you soaking wet? Come lets get you out of those and into something dry." She lifted my t-shirt over my head and let it drop. I didn't do anything to stop her. The truth is, part of me was excited to see what would happed next. "What's the matter Rose?" She reached for my face "You're ice cold." Her warm hand on my cheek sent a shok through my body though I stayed perfectly still. I decided to go with it and see what would happen, "Maybe you should warm me." Her mouth was inches from mine. I imagined it would be soft and warm.

Gazing into each other's eyes, frozen by the energy that crowded the room; fake Lissa leaned forward and lightly pressed her lips to mine. She pulled back slightly. I looked over to Dimitri who gave me an approving look. I could see the images in his mind and took that as a sign to continue. We began kissing a bit deeper and feeling each other's bodies. I started thinking about how it wouldn't be too bad turning her after all; the real Lissa that is. That was when I opened my eyes and saw Dimitri, shirtless, kneeling behind my fake best friend. His eyes were on the two of us kissing. He brushed fake Lissa's hair aside and kissed her neck. My blood instantly began to boil seeing his lips on another girl. Hypocritical or not, I was unashamedly jealous. He reached around her waist and pulled her away from my lips and flush against his chest. One of his hands came up and held her throat. His eyes never left mine. Was he challenging me? Through our bond he spoke.

' _How do you like this my love? Sharing her with me?'_

I couldnt respond with words. I honestly didn't know how too. So I let him feel my mixed emotions that were rising higher with each stroke of his thumb over her vain. Then he brought his lips to her temple and placed a kiss just before her hairline. I was ready to blow. My body was a whorl wind of anger and arousal. Half of me wanted to rip both of their throats out and the other half wanted to be right in the middle of all that lust. Fake Lissa was panting heavily as Dimitri squeezed her throat a little tighter with his right hand her back still against his chest. His left hand came around her front and felt up her ribcage. All this time he never broke eye contact with me.

"Where shall I touch her Roza? Should I go north?" his left hand traveled up her front towards her breasts but stopped just short of them. "Or shall I go south?" His hand slid down her stomach towards her core. The corners of his mouth turned up into a wicked grin. He was completely aware of my inner turmoil. "Your, choice my love. This is what it will be like if Lissa joins us. It will be the three of us like this. Can you stand it?" his hand went lower on her pelvis. "Do you like it?" Dimitri's voice was barely a whisper as he reached her center.

I grabbed his hand and tossed fake Lissa to the ground. She landed with a loud crack and I knew she's hit her head on the way down. The compulsion would soon wear off since Dimitri hadn't used much strength to keep her mind locked into the fantasy. I was over his game.

Once she was out of the way, I went for his throat and forced him to the bed. My teeth exposed. I was furious. "What are you playing at Dimitri? If I awoke Lissa, she would awaken Christian. They would have their own fun somewhere else. Not with us."

He was still smiling. "No they wont. Christian is a child and even less likely to survive as Strigoi than Lissa. She's a princess who wants to be a queen. She will loose interest in him and want to take me from you because she will see that the only way to rule this new world of ours is if she is by my side. And how she will do that is by these means." He gestured to the three of us in the room. "She will get in your way and you will have to kill her anyway. But like I said, your choice."

I didn't want to believe him. I wanted to believe that if I did awaken Lissa, she would be my best friend again. That we would have the same closeness we did before. But there was a feeling inside my gut that said Dimitri was telling the truth. Becoming Strigoi brought all my passions to the surface and killed all my weaknesses. Even if Lissa did awaken Christian and they were happy together in this life. They would eventually try to overthrow us. The wretched fact was clear; she was my past. But Dimitri was my future and that outweighed any sisterly affection she and I once had. That was it, case closed. But I needed to know one thing. "And what about you Husband? Would you want her to make these moves between us? Do you want her instead of me?" His face was serious now. "Never, you are what I have wanted from the beginning. I only want to achieve greatness if you are there to share it with me. But I am a man, and if your blond best friend wants to get in the middle of us… I wouldn't say no to the entertaining portions so long as you were part of them. But I also wouldn't hold back from saying I told you so when I hand you the stake to kill her once you've found out who the real Lissa is."

I loosed my grip on his throat "You're still my teacher aren't you?" I asked sarcastically. He caressed my face "We are each other's teachers. I learn from you as well. We wouldn't have this army if it weren't for you. I want us to be at the top of the world. Anything I say or do is for us." He was telling the truth. I could see it in his mind. My past was gone; there was only he and I now.

I looked to fake Lissa. She was still on the ground looking around the room confused.

"Where am I?" She spoke and tried to shield herself. "Who are you people? I want to go home!" With my decision made I inhaled the sent coming from her, fear. It was intoxicating. Now I understood all those wild animal warnings about how they can smell fear; because I could absolutely smell hers. I knew what needed to be done. I locked eyes on her and spoke, the compulsion pouring from me and into her.

"You're here for some fun… Lissa" she was in the grips of my power and calmed slightly.

"Who's Lissa?"

"Why, you are. Don't you remember?"

"Yes…Lissa, I'm Lissa…and you're Rose."

I bid her to come back to the bed and sit between Dimitri and I. He was lying on his side propped on his right elbow. I looked at him as she sat then looked to her.

"Oh Lis, you worry too much…" Like the blood thrusty beasts we were. Dimitri and I bit into her flesh at the exact same time. Her skin grew cold as we finished her and turned out attention back to each other.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Dimitri

The feel of my Roza's hand in mine was so very soothing as we lay in bed. There were no clothes separating us; just pale skin against pale skin. Her dark hair fanned out against the white pillows. I made a note to myself to have mirrors installed on the ceiling as soon as possible. While my mind was more than capable of projecting exactly what we must look like in this position, I wanted to see it before my eyes every day we spent here. Not to mention it would provide an excellent view of our activities leading up to this position. The blond we butchered earlier was still on the floor. She hadn't started to stink yet but I would have to call for someone to deal with her soon. Not yet though, at this moment all I wanted was to lay here with my beloved Rose in my arms and reflect on the events that took place merely hours ago.

 _12 hours earlier…_

Jori and Boris sent an invitation to our home. Being that no one knew about Rose or her position at my side, the invitation was for me alone. They were hosting a welcome party for me; a token of their appreciation for taking out Galina and Ivan. The party was also meant to solidify our business relationship. Fools, they were pissing in their pants over my accomplishments and were trying to either end me or save themselves from my coup d'etat. The party was to be held in one of Jori's basement gaming locations. They had no idea that this was exactly what Rose and I had been waiting for. We gathered our forces and went over the plan.

Rose and our best solders would disguise themselves as junkies looking to score some of Boris' goods. The women would gain entry to the party via feminine wiles while the men would take a stand on the exterior. Their job would be to cut down the armed forces of the two Strigoi bosses. This left me in the lion's den with Jori and Boris. They were my responsibility.

Once alone in our suite, Rose spoke freely of her concerns.

"I can't say I'm a fan of this plan. I know this is what we have been waiting for but there's too much room for error. We originally wanted them on our territory. But this way, you are handing yourself over to them." She said.

"I understand your qualms my love. But we will never get a chance like this again. If I don't go they will get suspicious and make a move on us. Even with our numbers that is something we cannot afford. Right now we are feeding on their fear. It's the right plan."

"And if they aren't afraid? If this is all a trap?"

I looked her dead in the eye. This was not something I took lightly. If they were to overpower me then her safety would be my only concern. "If that happens, which it wont, make sure you get out of there before they figure out who you are. You come back here with as many of our people as you can and mount a defense."

"That's your contingency plan? For me to run? We are bound Dimitri! If you die I die! There will be no running back to the fort for me. Nor would there be if we weren't bound. I stand with you to the end."

"Well let's hope Galina was wrong about that! If they kill me, you get out of there and don't look back." A moment of silence passes between us. That was the first time since she was my student back in Montana that I had raised my voice to her. She looked down at the floor seething. I reached for her face and brought her eyes to mine.

"Rose, you must trust in this plan. Everything we have worked for has led to this night. Everything depends on you being able to complete your half of the mission and me to complete mine. We will not fail. We can't." I kissed her lips like it would be the last time I would ever kiss them. When we parted I pulled her body into my arms and held her. There was a strong chance we would fail but I couldn't let her know this. She needed to focus. Without a word I stepped away from her embrace and walked out of the room.

Down in the basement I took the keys for the Aston Martin and sped away before the cold feeling in my gut forced me to turn around and run back to my Roza. The more distance I put between us right now the better. I cleared my mind and locked her out of it. She did not need to bother herself with keeping an eye on me when she was in as much danger as I. If she were to be harmed because she was paying more attention to my actions than her own then all would be lost. Before her awakening I would have been able to move forward with my life as a Strigoi without her. Things being as they were before, I could have moved on if I needed to kill her then. But things were very different now. Now we were married. We shared a bond. I saw her in her purest form, loved her as her true self. We shared something we could have never shared a few months ago. No, I would never be able to go on without her now. Rose was part of my soul. And If something were to happen to me, and the bond between us did not kill her as well, I hoped with everything in my being that she would be able to move on and live her life. Though I knew deep down that it was the same for her as it was for me. That left us with only one option and failure was not it.

I pulled up to the address on the invitation and took note of my surroundings. A tenement building in dire need of repair. She stench of piss, gun powder and led paint filled the air. This was a bad area to be in if you were human. The invitation instructed me to enter through the basement around the side of the building. At the door was a hooker in a lime green dress thing, which left little to the imagination. Her hair was black and purple. She had sores around her mouth and the reminence of a broken jaw she tried unsuccessfully to cover with a thick layer of make up. Her pimp stopped me and offered a ridiculously cheap price for the girl. "I'm here to see Jori" I said. The pimp took a closer look at my eyes and shuttered as he let me pass. He knew what I was and whom I was there to see.

Inside the basement the lights were low and tinted red. The stereo played some German punk music while Striori and human men took their pleasure with women and drugs and drink. They were the muscle for the superiors I was meeting. This was all a show. They were displaying their forces and letting me know I was outnumbered. I was directed behind a long bar that was covered with graffiti. Behind the bar someone opened a trap door from under the bar mat. There was a set of stairs going deeper into the bowels of the building. I descended the steep narrow staircase, knowing with each step that my odds of triumph were getting slimmer and slimmer. I was now two levels below ground surrounded by the combatants of my enemies.

I entered a room that was lit by a bright overhead light. A table convened at the center of the room where both Joir and Boris sat chatting about nothing in particular. Their chatter stopped, as I got closer.

"Ah! There is our new brother!" Said Boris as he stood from his seat. The two men came to embrace me and encouraged me to sit. Boris was short and stout with a layer of stubble that would never grow or go away on his round face. His hair was smokey black with a few silver strands scatters about. Jori was taller and more narrow looking with light brown hair that was closely cropped on the sides of his head and long in top. His features were equally narrow and long. The two men were exact opposites of each other Though they both dressed in slacks and button down shirts with jackets. Jori sported suspenders. They reminded me of the mobsters from a black and white movie about Al Capone.

"At last we can discuss our great plans for the future." Jori slapped my shoulder and took his seat once more. I sat down and eyed the men. Everything I did and said was under scrutiny and must be executed carefully. "I appreciated your invitation but…"

Boris cut me off, "But you wonder why exactly we called you here? That's only natural young Dimitri. Jori and I have been in this game for the better part of a century. Long before you were born, in any capacity. You are how old exactly? Total, not just since you were awakened."

" I was 24 at the time of my awakening." I could have played tough and responded factiously but there would be no point. They already knew the answers to the questions they were asking.

"24, my, not more than a child. And your awakening was what? A year ago?"

"There about." I answered coolly

"Ha! You see Boris? He must be a god of some sort! To have accomplished so much in such a short time, it will be a true honor having your fresh blood to do business with."

I had to smirk at the 'god' comment, remembering what my students at St Vlad's had once called me. "I'm wondering what you had in mind."

Jori let out a whistle. A large muscular Strigoi appeared carrying a tray that was laid with three glasses of amber liquid, cigars and a deck of cards. The servant passed each of us a glass and a cigar. To Jori he gave the deck of cards. We toasted the occasion and drank the scotch. "Shall we play a round of 5 card draw?" Jori began dealing the cards before anyone responded. Boris lit his cigar with match drawn from a dispenser at the center of the table. Mine stood next to the cards that were handed to me. Jori began to speak; "You can tell a lot about a man by how he plays cards. That is important to men like us no?" He sipped his drink. "I never lost my taste for scotch after my awakening. It was during the nineteen twenties. I had come to America thinking I would make my fortune. Five years later I was nothing than a foreign beggar praying for work on the streets of Chicago…"

"Mother of God! Not this story again! Dimitri cover your ears or you will die of boredom before we even show our cards." Boris Interrupted.

Jori kept going like Boris had said nothing. "Then the Volstead Act passed and I saw an opportunity. I began working security on the docks for a local mobster who was capitalizing on the bootlegging frontier. All night in the freezing cold fighting bare-knuckled with any bastard looking to rob the shipments, and do you know how much I was paid?"

"$2 a night" Boris chimed in.

"$2 a night. Then one night a new face appeared. He liked my dedication and my hard work and offered me a job. If I were to kill the boss I was working for he would grant me unlimited power. The next day I shot Big Jim Colosimo in the head. They blamed it on another man but it was me."

"Bullshit!" Boris said giving his two cents again.

"It's true, that night the man who gave me the job handed me a case of money and said I could take the money and run or give the money back and become the thing men most fear. The creature that mothers tell their children about to make them behave. To become the stuff of nightmares. I chose the nightmare. Now you may wonder why I tell you this story."

"Because you've run out of people you haven't told it to yet." Boris took a large pull of his cigar and looked at his cards.

"I tell you this so you can appreciate the hard work it takes to get to where we are. Now, you have been successful in you endeavors and we are willing to let you continue. However you must know that we cannot allow you to run 50% of the underground because of two lucky kills." He paused and took a sip of his scotch. "Boris and I will take over your assumed operations and let you continue with Galina's sector. The prostitutes are very difficult to control so you will have your work cut out for you. However, you will have a chance to grow and earn your place with us. In time we will give you more responsibilities and eventually you will earn a more equal partnership with us."

They were afraid, so afraid in fact, that they put together this elaborate get-together all to intimidate me. However, even greater than their fear, was their arrogance. That was when I felt warmth fill me. Rose had arrived. I would not open my mind to her for fear she and/or I would get distracted. I had no choice but to trust she would be victorious.

"Dimitri, You haven't touched you cigar, or your cards."

I nonchalantly reached for my cigar. The large Strigoi who had brought us the drinks was instantly at my side with a light. I pulled on my cigar and picked up my cards. "I enjoyed that story very much. What about you Boris? What is the story behind your awakening?"

"My awakening was no great story. Jori was my friend and roommate. We were on the same passage to America. He awakened me right after he was brought to the dark side."

"I see, may I share a story with you?" I asked

"Please do! I'm so fucking sick of Jori's! I need a new story!"

With my eyes on my cards I began.

"I was born in a small town. One neither of you have probably heard of. The town was nearly all Dhampir families born to single mothers. As I'm sure you both know, towns like that have a poor reputation. The women form these communities after they bore children from Moroi men, many of them from different Moroi fathers. I was the only male of my mother's children. Once a year my Moroi father came to visit us. He would come, beat my mother and leave her carrying the next of his children. One day I decided I was done with it. So when he readied himself to hit my mother, I hit him and I didn't stop hitting him till he ran from out house and never came back. The problem was, the anger never left me. All that rage I carried with in my heart, I focused on my training. There was no one who could match me in strength or technique while I was in school. It brought me great achievement as a guardian. I was ranked top in my field. Then one day I met a girl. She was young, only 17 when I first saw her. This girl, she was amazing; fierce, strong, stubborn, beautiful. My dream girl if such a thing exists.

"I tried not to fall in love with her. The two of you cannot understand this being that you were both human before your awakening but she and I were both Dhampir and to Dhampir, the Moroi come first. First before your passions, before your desires, before your love. Then one night we found ourselves alone in a cabin and our desire was too much for either of us to ignore any longer. When she gave herself to me that night, I swore I would do anything for us to be together. But this was not possible. Outside the complications of the Dhampir / Moroi world was the Strigoi threat. I was awakened shortly after out first night together. I ran from her fearing I would not have the strength not to awaken her as well, that annoying sense of honor still lingering in my cells. I tortured myself by leaving her behind. As much as I enjoyed the freedom of Strigoi life, she was still all I though about. Every dark haired girl I drank from had her face. Every life I took made me wish for her to be there with me enjoying the thrill of the kill.

"And who could have guessed, being the fierce creature she was, she went in search of me. She turned her back on everything she had been taught to find me. Her intent was to kill me obviously. But still, she abandoned her duty to find me. I knew then that we needed each other. But there was another problem, more rules. Rules as Dhampir, rules as Strigoi. Rules, rules, rules. Everywhere I looked, rules. So I decided that if we could be together, I would break all the rules, tare down all the walls, destroy everyone on this Earth until there was only she and I left if I had to. Just so we could be together. The things we do for love."

Jori and Boris looked at me momentarily stunned. Then they both started laughing. The buddings of a struggle could be heard from above us. I knew it was the sound of my army killing theirs "Kril! Whats going on up there?" Boris shouted to the henchman.

"She sounds like quite a catch Dimitri. What happened to her?" Jori asked.

"I married her. And right now, she is upstairs killing every single one of your men."

My last statement hung in the air. Their faces changed from enthralled by my story to fury. I continued, "So allow me to tell you that I will not be accepting your offer. In fact, I would like to formally tell you that you can shove that offer up Boris' ass while you fuck him."

A loud crash came from over out heads. From behind me I could sense the large assailant approaching. Before he could reach me I jumped up kicking my chair backwards temporally diverting him. Turning my attention back to Boris and Jori I flipped the table and side kicked the bottom sending it in their direction. The only guard down here was the large one. If I had any hope of taking out the two bossed I'd have to deal with him first. He stood up and we began grappling each for control of the other. On the ground he overpowered me by getting my back and holding me in a headlock with his left arm. I lay struggling with my back against his chest. This was possibly the worst position I could be in. Boris was coming at me with a silver stake in his right hand; a glove covered that hand protecting it. Just before he could drive the stake into my heart I slipped my hand inside the goon's left elbow and slid my left shoulder across his chest and down to the floor successfully escaping the choke and the stake. Boris' stake came crashing down into the henchman's chest.

Seeing he killed the wrong man Boris pulled the stake from him henchman. I grabbed his wrist with both hands avoiding any contact with the silver. Then I brought my left leg behind his right arm and bent his stabbing arm back bringing him to the floor. Now I had a choice, roll him over and stab him with his own hand or break his arm completely off and stab him with his own severed arm. I chose the latter. "Oma Plata mother fucker."

Jori stood astounded. I got up from the floor with Boris' arm in my hand, his hand still gripping the stake. A human hand would have lost its strength by now but Strigoi limbs become ridged right away. "What were your cards Jori?" I saw he still had them clutched in his hand. "Two pair" He said throwing them to the floor. I pulled mine from my back pocket and showed them to him. "Full house, I think you will agree that I win." He closed his eyes as I wound back my make shift baseball bat and impaled Jori's forehead with Boris' stake.

Overhead I could hear cheering. Feeling safe enough to let the wall down I opened my mind to Rose again. She felt my call immediately and the trap door I had come through earlier flew open. She appeared in a torn t-shirt and jeans covered in blood. She looked amazing. We were in each other's arms then. My warrior woman and I, both of us fresh from battle covered in the blood of our enemies. "We did it! We won!"

"Yes we did. Take the troops and get back to the mansion I have one more thing to take care of. I wont be far behind."

"What about the bodies?"

"I will burn it before I go. Now get moving, it's going to be light soon."

She gave me a nod and went to leave. Before she could go I pulled her back to me for one more kiss. "Go right home. I'll be right behind you my Queen."

"Well haul ass my King so we can celebrate." She winked at me and was off.

 _Present Time_

"How does it feel to be a king?" Rose asked me.

"It feels like we finally have what is due to us. At lease for now."

"I know that tone. Your planning something dubious aren't you Comrade?"

"Always Roza, and you love it."

"I do"

"I was thinking of a coming out party for you. Now that we have the power, I think it would be fun to pull back the curtain and let them know you and I are in charge now. What do you think?" I kissed her temple and she responded.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful next step. I also thing he should call someone to take the trash out. It's going to smell in here soon."

I got out of bed fully naked and picked up the blond's body from the floor. I opened the door to our suite dropped her to the ground and called for no one specific to clean up the disarray. As I made my way back to our bed I saw a strange look on Rose's face. See appeared to be in a trance like state.

"Roza? What is it?" she said nothing. I climbed the bed and shook her vigorously. "Rose? Speak to me." Nothing, my heart pounded. Strigoi did not get sick or hurt for the most part. I reached out to her in my mind _'Roza, answer me, what is wrong?'_ She jerked from my grasp and threw herself down on the bed. A blood-chilling scream left her throat. Her skin glowed red and was hot to the touch like she was on fire from within. Not caring for my own discomfort I took her in my arms and ran to the on suite bathroom. As fast as I could I turned on the cold water and put her in the tub. That was when I saw the blood, which had begin pouring from her eyes and nose. Having heard the commotion, three of our men walked into the room. Not wanting them to see her naked I shouted for them to leave.

The screaming never stopped. She began clawing at her face and throat. Steam developed from the temperature of her skin meeting with the cold water. I was panicked. All I could do was hold her in the water and reach out to her with my mind. Then the screaming ended. Her body went still. I feared she was dead till I heard her heart return to a steady rhythm and her breathing calmed. But still, she would not answer me. I stood there kneeling beside the bathtub and continued to reach out to her through our bond. _'Please Roza, come back to me.'_


	9. Chapter 9

Janine

Turkey

"Janine? What are you doing?" Abe called out to me from the darkened bedroom. The furnishings of the Turkish style apartment were ornate and ourlandish, just like him. There was a time when this arrogant Moroi man dazzled me. Enough so that he was able to get me pregnant nearly two decades ago and still make me want for more after all this time. Though now that craving had a more punishing tone. Rose looked so much like him. They had same dark hair and eyes. The same smirk that turned up the left side of their mouths when they knew something others didn't. She was more like him than I in so many ways.

"I'm conducting a study on cancer, what do you care?" I responded as I smoked the red paper wrapped tobacco. Since the death of our daughter Rosemarie I had taken up the poor habit. Dhampir were not susceptible to human diseases like lung cancer or the like but it did work as a stress reliever and gave me a bit of a head rush. Abe came to sit beside me dressed in the pajama bottoms that matched the top I was wearing. His broad chest was dusted with a light layer of hair that was the same shade of black/brown as the waves on his head. No wonder I fell for this dark and dangerous creature. I loved him and hated him almost in even measure.

He took the cigarette from my hand. I thought he would put the burning ember out in the crystal ashtray that stood between us. But to my surprise he brought it to his lips and inhaled.

"These taste like shit. Tomorrow we will get you something a little more upscale."

He was always trying to revolutionize the simple things. Put diamonds on a toilet as if that would make using it more confortable; it would still be a toilet, it would just sparkle. "What makes you think I want more upscale cigarettes?"

"At least something that does a better job at taking the edge off."

"So you can turn me into a pot head?"

"Janine, stop. Lets be honst and stop bickering about things that don't matter. You came out here because I'm the only one who understands your pain and fucking me makes you forget about it for a while. I don't blame you for what happened…"

"Blame me? How could you possible blame me for what happened to Ro…" There it was again, that stabbing feeling I got whenever I said her name. The tears flooded my eyes and poured down my cheeks.

"I don't blame you completely. I blame us both equally Janine. You for telling me no when I asked you to marry me 18 years ago and myself for letting you say no." He choked back the tears that threatened to expose the open wound our daughter's death left in us both. "Maybe if we had done things differently she would have thought of love differently and not gone after that man. Maybe she would have loved herself more."

"Abe, if we had gotten married when I found out I was pregnant she would have grown up to be a total mess of a girl."

"You're probably right, but I bet she would still be here." he said through clinched teeth.

"So you do blame me!" He grabbed the collar of my shirt and slammed me against the wall. "Yes! I blame you! I have so much hatred for you sometimes I can't see straight. Why did you have to be so fucking stubborn! I could have provided a wonderful life for the both of you!"

"A life paid for with backroom deals and blood money! A life that would have been stripped away from her as soon as you grew board of fatherhood like every other Moroi man? She deserved more than that!"

"Is that what she got Janine?! Is it?! No! She grew up with strangers! Alone! Of course she fell for the first boy who came along! Fell so fucking hard she died for him! Because she never had a father! She never had a mother!" That did it. I collapsed on the floor where he dropped me and sobbed. He fell to his knees before me and we cried in each other's arms.

This had become our routine. We would argue about how things should have, would have and could have been had we done things differently. I defended the choices we made while he fought them. Voices would escalate, occasionally blows were exchanged, but we always ended up here; lachrymose.

"We cannot go on like this Janine." He rocked us back and forth and we stood crumpled on the cold marble floor.

"I know, but I can't walk away from you. You are all I have left of her."

"The same goes for me my darling. This is our punishment for failing our baby."

That was when a notion began to form in my head. "Does it have to be our punishment? Maybe it's more than that."

"What do you mean?" He asked

"Maybe the hatred we feel can to be channeled in another direction. At someone more deserving of our rage. Someone who is truly to blame for what happened to her."

The look in his eyes told me he was on the same line of thinking as I was. "He took our baby from us Abe. We may have failed her in life…"

"But we don't have to fail her in death." He finished my sentence.

"You have so many connections in Eastern Europe. If we could track Dimitri down we could avenge her. Maybe if we could do this, we could find some peace."

He nodded looking off into the distance, "That bastard stole her head and her heart. Let us pay him back by taking his." Abe brought my lips to his and we let our passion take hold on the marble floor.

Dimitri

For three days and nights my Roza responded to nothing. She was not dead but a sort of coma had come over her. I washed the blood from her eyes and nose and dressed her in a white night gown. Part of me couldn't ignore how she looked like Snow White, all dark hair and red lips on white skin. But no amount of kisses from her prince would wake her. The door to our suite opened and two of our guards entered holding the arms of a struggling blond with a gold tattoo on her face. Her eye makeup had begun running down her face as she contemplated her fate.

"Here she is my King." Stephan, my most trusted guard said. Stephan had been one of the prostitutes Rose and I had liberated months ago. The man had been kept in a cage and used for unspeakable acts of human depravity. Since his awakening there was nothing he wouldn't do for Rose and I.

"You are sure you were not followed?" I asked

"Yes, she was asleep in her apartment when we took her, no one followed us."

"Excellent. Tell Tanya and her team to continue rotations till dawn. If anyone comes looking for her, compel any knowledge from them then destroy them."

"Yes my King."

They left the room with the blond cowering on the floor. She was dressed in flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. She wore no socks or shoes. I knelt beside her and began.

"Your name is Sydney yes?" The girl said nothing. She only hid her face in her knees and shook in terror.

"Answer me girl!" She let out a small shriek at my tone.

"Yes," She whispered.

"And you are an alchemist yes?"

"Yes," She said still not making eye contact.

"Good, here's how this will go Sydney. There is something wrong with my wife. I am in need of someone with magical knowledge to help her. If you succeed I will let you live. I will compel you so you don't remember any of this and you may go on with your life thinking all of this was a bad dream. But if you fail, well, you are a smart girl. I'm sure you can figure it out. Am I clear?"

Slowly she brought her eyes to mine and nodded.

"Good, she is on the bed. I will answer any questions you have to the best of my knowledge. Now please, save her."

Sydney

" _Good, she is on the bed. I will answer any questions you have to the best of my knowledge. Now please, save her."_

The creature's face went from menacing to almost tender on the last few words. How the hell did I end up here? In the secret hide out of some Strigoi King? Did the Strigoi even have Kings? Now I was being held against my will and my only hope of survival was to save the life of his Queen. Any self-respecting alchemist would probably say 'kill me you creature of the night scum!' But I'm sure if I did that he would just compel me to do what he wanted and then I may never get out of here.

I slowly got to my feet and looked at the thing lying on the bed. It took me only half a second to recognize who she was. "Rose? Rose!" I ran to her side and touched her forehead.

"You know her?" the _King_ asked.

"Yes I know her, My boss assigned me to help her when she came to this country to hunt… you? Are you Dimitri Belikov?"

"I am"

"What have you done to her?"

"Exactly what needed to be done, she sought me out because she knew we were meant to be together. Regardless of her original intentions we love each other. Now if you please."

"Everyone thinks she's dead. All this time you've what kept her locked away?" He flew to my side in the blink of an eye. His freezing cold had held my throat so tightly I was sure to pass out any second.

"There is no time for me to explain everything that's happened and frankly it's none of your business alchemist. Now do what you were brought here to do or I will dismember you and dump your parts in the woods for animals to feast upon."

I didn't even realize I was no longer on the ground till he released my throat and I fell to the ground. It took a moment for my lungs to remember how to breathe. When I came back to myself I sat on the bed next to a very still Rose Hathaway. "How long has she been like this?"

"Three days. Out of nowhere she was burning up and bleeding from her nose and eyes, screaming like she was in agony. Then she was like this."

"Have there been any changes since?"

"I just told you no."

"I don't know exactly what you expect me to do here. My knowledge of Strigoi doesn't go far passed how to kill your kind."

"Well, time to further your education."

I took a deep breath, "I'm going to need my kit."

"Your kit?"

"Yes, did you think I could conjure up a cure? Alchemists require tools to make our magic work."

He went to the door and shouted for someone to come and instructed them to get my stuff. "Would it be too much trouble for then to get me some clothing as well?"

"Rose's closet is this one here, you are welcome to anything you like. Except her shoes, she likes her shoes."

"Of course she does. Bathroom?"

"At the end of the closet"

I excused myself to the large walk in closet. The fashion choices were somewhere between a runway model and a rock star. So not my usual style. I settled on a pair of black legging and long-sleeved black top. After using the bathroom and changing into Rose's clothes I decided the top was a no go. The V-neckline dipped a little too far into my cleavage than I was comfortable with so I took it off and opted for my white t-shirt. After pulling it back over my head I turned to see Dimitri standing in the doorway. "Excuse me? Is privacy too much to ask for?"

"Please alchemist, I have no interest in you that way. I came to let you know your things have arrived."

His disgust for my insinuation was a little insulting but I reminded myself that his lack of interest in my body was probably a good thing. I exited the bathroom/closet area and went to Rose's side. Dimitri stood ever menacing over me as I conducted my examination. "Are you going to do that the whole time?" He backed away and sat in a close by armchair.

I shook off the chills he gave me and went about my analysis. Two hours later I had tested samples of Rose's blood with just about every chemical compound I had and came up with nothing. Whatever put her in this coma wasn't elemental. Then I tried more advanced techniques. I opened my spell book and searched for anything regarding Strigoi other than how to kill them. That was when I came across something strange. "Did you say she is you _wife_?" I asked Dimitri.

"Yes"

"What does that mean? You had a civil ceremony or something? It's not like a church was an option."

"Don't be stupid girl. I guess it doesn't matter since you wont be able to tell anyone once this is over with. Rose and I are bound. I learned of a way for a Strigoi man and women to combine their souls. We became one the night I awakened her."

"Where did you learn about this?"

"From a spirit user who was held captive by the woman I worked for previously."

"I see. This sort of magic is something we try to keep from your kind; it's very ancient powerful stuff. You may not know exactly how powerful but believe me, it's earth shattering material."

"What does that mean for her?" He asked.

"Basically she's on a power overdose. The only was to cure her is to take some of the power from her and into yourself."

"That makes no sense. We have been bound for months, why would this happen to her now?" He asked. I could tell he was sizing up my answer trying to see if I was telling lies to get myself off the hook.

"Look, the truth is, I am way out of my element. Most likely every alchemist born after 1000 A.D. would be out of there element here. Apparently no Strigoi has been able to pull off this kind of magic in the last millennia. Not since ancient Egypt at the earliest."

"Well there must be a way. How do I transfer the magic?"

I took a moment to ready myself for what I was about to say. If I helped them, I would be going against everything I had been taught all my life. But if I said no this hulking Russian beast would make me do it one way or another. I made a decision to keep my mind for as long as I could and spoke. "According to this passage the power was acquired through your blood so in order to balance it; you will need to share each other's blood regularly to statin the equilibrium. Otherwise you will basically take turns OD'ing every few months until the power completely burns you both out."

Dimitri was taken back by the revelation, "That's it? We feed from each other and she will return to normal?" The rest of the passage alarmed me to my core. It was a prophecy for the end of days. Their joining would bring about an eternal darkness and all mankind would suffer. Luckily my book was written in ancient rune. A very dead language I was sure this monster couldn't possibly understand. "Ya, yes, that's all there is to it." I stammered.

His face was dissecting me. My heart began to pound in my chest, I could feel my face turning bright red.

"You're lying. There is more you are not telling me."

Panic over took me, "Please…" I all but whispered as his red eyes consumed me.

"Please what Sydney?"

I couldn't remember why I was so afraid, all I knew was I needed to read the pages out loud. I felt warm and safe where I was. "Please… listen carefully… while I read this to you…"

… _When the Lord and Lady of darkness have bound their souls, the power infused in their blood must be shared to hold their demise at bay. Apart they will whither and perish. Together with the sharing of blood their power shall flourish. They shall cross all boundaries of their race and consume the gifts of all Earth's creatures. When the crowning of their supremacy disembarks they shall conceive a son born of pure grace and pure malevolence. By his hand will the world collapse into utter darkness or transcend into pure light. For theirs shall be the kingdom, the power and the glory…_

When I came to me senses, the panic returned. "What have you done?" I asked horrified.

"You wound me Sydney, I have just invited you for the opportunity of a lifetime. You will be our personal alchemist now and during the war that is surely to come."

"What? No! I didn't agree to this!"

"Nonsense! You will have a chance to study the most monumental revolution in the history of the world. What alchemist could turn that down?"

That was when I noticed the two men who brought me from my apartment were standing beside Dimitri.

"Take our guest to her room, see that she is fed and bring her clothing from her flat. Anyone who harms her will have to answer to me."

This couldn't be happening. "No! Let me go!" They dragged me from the room. I kicked and screamed but it was no use. How the hell was I going to get out of this?


	10. Chapter 10

Rose

"Hey girl friend," I said completely surprising Sydney. She jumped like a cartoon cat that would stick its claws in the ceiling when it was startled. "I guess a 'thank you' is in order, since you did save my life with your little book." I held her book up and wiggled it.

"Rose, good to see you up and about." She replied with a hint of sarcasm. She eyed the book in my hands. I could tell she was trying to think of a way to take it from me. I chuckled, she had balls, I'd give her that.

"So there are a few things we need to talk about. I studied your tome of fairy tales and realized one very important fact." I tossed the book on the couch behind her. "I can't read this chicken scratch, what the hell does it mean?" She opened her mouth already prepared with an answer so I cut her off to save time. "…And before you give me the song and dance you've been working on since you arrived in this room, let me remind you that at any time I want, I can compel you to tell me everything I need to know."

"So why ask me like this? Why not just hypnotize me right now?"

"Because during the time we spent together before my awakening I learned a few things about you. The foremost being that your brilliant mind is more useful to me of your own free will than as my pet. Plus I miss our verbal sparring matches. I don't get too many of those anymore, one of the few downsides of being the Queen. The only one really"

"So that's what omnipotence sounds like."

"See? That there! Nowadays everyone just says 'yes my Queen' or 'understood my Queen' not that I don't enjoy getting my way all the time. But how else will I keep my wit sharp? Now, Dimitri told me about the prophecy but I'm thoroughly lost. Explain it to me."

She looked at the floor and let out a sigh of defeat. "Got anything to drink around here?" I smirked at the knowledge that I'd won. She was so afraid of loosing her mind she would give me everything I needed. Sure I would compel her anyway but I'd save that for later. "Wine, beer or something stronger?"

"Stronger…"

"Stronger coming right up"

Two minutes later a bottle of Russian vodka was brought to the door. She eyed me strangely as I poured two classes of the potent clear liquid. "Strigoi drink?" I raised my eyebrow at her choice of words. She rolled her eyes "Stuff that isn't blood I mean."

"Why not? We don't get liver failure and it still gets us drunk. But we can control the stupor; if necessary we can just brush it off and return to normal. It's more recreational than anything."

She chugged her glass and poured another. "Slow down cowgirl, I need you to be at least a little bit functional. Just think of this as a girl's night. Only it's during the day and we will be discussing vampyric divination instead of watching The Bachelorette or Sex and the City."

'I hate both of those shows."

"Sex and the City yes but don't knock the Bachelorette. It was all I watched when I stayed in this room, so romantic."

"Ok, if my only two options are listening to you drone on about that retarded show or explaining how you and your boyfriend are going to bring about the end of the world, I'll go with doomsday."

"Husband, and I see the vodka is working. Now spill."

"Alright, here it goes." She sat on the couch tucking one leg underneath her and began. "The first line ' _When the Lord and Lady of darkness have bound their souls, the power infused in their blood must be shared to hold their demise at bay.'_ That's referring to you and Dimitri. In order to keep the balance of power you need to drink from each other regularly."

"What about drinking the blood of others?"

"I am imaging that's still a necessity for sustenance. This is just to keep the two of you from another overdose. The next line ' _Apart they will whither and perish. Together with the sharing of blood their power shall flourish. They shall cross all boundaries of their race and consume the gifts of all Earth's creatures'_ You get the apart from each other concept but the rest of it means the more you share blood with Dimitri the stronger the two of you will get. Apparently you will eventually be able to do everything Dhampir, Moroi and Humans can do."

"We will have Moroi magic? Walk in the sunlight?"

"If I'm interpreting this properly, at some point, yes. I don't know how developed your powers are right now but if this is true, the two of you will be the most powerful couple in the world. That leads us to the next line, ' _When the crowning of their supremacy disembarks they shall conceive a son born of pure grace and pure malevolence. By his hand will the world collapse into utter darkness or transcend into pure light'_ "

"A son? You mean Dimitri and I can have a child?" Warmth filled me at the thought, a little boy with his father's eyes and smile. All dark haired and pale skin, he would be the most beautiful baby ever born. Instinctively I placed my hand on my womb. Could I be pregnant already? I looked at Sydney, encouraging her to tell me more.

"When the two of you have reached the summit of your power, walking in sunlight, elemental magic and all that jazz. It's quite believable that the ability to conceive would be part of the package. Judging by the text, he will be the one to either save the world or destroy it."

"Explain,"

" '… _born of pure grace and pure malevolence"_ That's basically saying he'll be a coin toss, capable of great things and also terrible things. Depending on how he is raised he will either be an angel or a demon. I'm going to guess the latter given his parentage. Together you three will make some kind of unholy trinity."

Not totally sure if I was shocked or excited, I got up and walked to the door. Before opening it I turned to Sydney one more time. "Thank you for the lesson lets do this again some time." Realizing I'd left the book still in her position I took a step to take it back from her. Then an idea occurred to me. I reached out my hand towards the book and tried compelling it to come to me. The same warmth from my brain stem I usually felt while compelling living things started up. The book began to shake then darted across the room and into my hand. I looked at a very astonished Sydney wiggled my eyebrows and began punching the code to leave the room. As I closed the first door I heard the distinct sound of liquid being poured into Sydney's glass.

Dimitri was waiting for me on the other side of the second door. Before I could say a word he pulled me into his arms.

"I'm guessing you heard everything?"

"Roza, a child. Do you know what this means?"

"That it's a good thing Strigoi don't need sleep?" Strigoi didn't produce tears but if they could, one or two would be sliding down my cheeks now. Given the sensitive nature of this conversation we both decided it would be wise to continue it in our suite. But before leaving that wing of the manor, I instructed Stephan to get some food to Sydney ASAP. "…And make sure it's full of carbs. She's going to need something to soak up the vodka before she gets alcohol poisoning. Make sure you see her eating it too."

"Yes my Queen." Stephan said and went to carry out his orders.

Once we had returned to the safety of our suite Dimitri and I dissected my conversation with Sydney. We covered the power balance and increase in abilities then finally got to the part we both were anxious for: the topic of our impending son.

"I thought that would be something we would never have, even as Dhampir we would have never been able to have a child. That's why I was so afraid you would run off with Tasha Ozera way back when. Because she could give you what I couldn't."

The sad truth was Dhampir/Dhampir relations couldn't produce children. They could only have children with Moroi or Human's. Meanwhile Moroi could procreate with other Moroi, Dhampir, and humans. It was one of the biggest unfair limitations of Dhampir life.

"It was never important to me Roza. I realized back then that I would only want a child if he or she came from you; if that wasn't an option then I didn't care. That's why I stayed in St Vladimir's. What I felt for you was stronger than any desire I had for anything else. Now those feelings are a thousand times what they were then, and today we learn that the one thing that escaped us can be a reality. We were right all along, we are fated. How could this be possible any other way?"

My emotions were all over the place. I wanted to run in circles from pure joy at the same time I wanted to grab and kiss my husband senseless. "Sydney said we will conceive him when we reach full power. I doubt we are there yet but I was able to move her book with my mind before I left, so there is something developing."

"I saw you! That was amazing. We will have to start training together as soon as possible. If the prophecy is correct we have much work to do on top of our royal duties. We will have to push back your reveal till we are more underway with our powers..." Dimitri was already planning the next few months of preparations. If he was motivated before the news of our prophesized child, he was a locomotive now. He was pacing back and forth spilling out everything that needed to be done from now till the little guy was conceived. "…We will also need to find a doctor, one who treats Moroi mothers and compel them. You will need to be monitored regularly. We have no idea what the pregnancy will be like or if we will even know when you get pregnant…"

"Slow down there Comrade, how about we start with picking out a name."

"I'm getting carried away aren't I?"

"Only a lot, and I love you for it." I smiled and went to him taking both his hands in mine.

He took a breath and kissed me tenderly. "I just never thought anything like this was possible. I want everything to be perfect."

"It will be. We can start by converting the ballroom into a training facility. He won't come if we aren't at our best. It's up to us to get there."

"You're right, I will have Stephan and his team get everything we will need. It would be wise to allow the army to watch our training sessions. It will instill their loyalty to see what their King and Queen are capable of should they get any bright ideas."

"They're going to shit themselves when they see us in action. Most of them were human before we awakened them. They've probably never seen real magic. "

"I'm debating whether or not to tell you to start watching your language since you will be a mother someday."

"Our baby's parents are two Strogi who spend their time drinking blood, having sex, and conquering Eastern Europe all the while completing an end of days prophecy. You're concerned he may learn a few naughty words?"

"Point taken, smart ass." We couldn't contain the laughter that exploded from Dimitri's choice of words. This was really happening. He held my face as the laughter died down. "So, names huh?" Dimitri asked.

"Ya, I was thinking something strong and original you know? Something you don't hear all the time." I said playing with different options in my head.

"Like what Thor?"

"And you call me the smart ass?"

"I think we have time to come up with something."

"Says the man who is ready to pick out my doctor and start putting together a delivery room?"

"I got carried away, I admitted it. Lets start with the training center. Tonight we have to visit the clubs and labs. Also I want us to check on Jori's casinos. With how long you take to get ready I should probably lock you in the closet now."

"You men have no appreciation for the work we women put into making ourselves presentable."

Oh I appreciate it, very, very much." Dimitri spoke slowly in a husky voice. He pressed his pelvis against me on the last word showing just how much he _appreciated_ the care I took in my appearance. "Didn't you say something about us spending all day having sex?"

"I may have said something to that degree…"

His wicked grin returned. With Strigoi speed he picked me up and rushed us both to the bed.

' _So much for locking me in the closet'_ I said through our bond. Our mouths were too busy to speak aloud.

' _We can take this to the closet if you like.'_ He replied as he moved his mouth from my lips to my neck and bit into my throat. We probably wouldn't conceive our son today, but there was no harm in a little practice… or a lot of practice.


	11. Chapter 11

Abe

3 Months Later

Berdsk, Russia

SMACK! That was the sound he made as he hit the floor face first. His shaved head already showing signs of bruising like a piece of rotten fruit. The sniveling weasel that had the nerve to deny me the information I sought. There may have been a follow up sound of breaking teeth but who keeps track of those things? Janine, my goddess, tossed him like a rag doll. She was truly an artist when it came to violence. It was one of the things that made me fall in love with her in the first place.

"Kolya, my old friend. After all our dealings together, all the money you have made through my influences. I'm disappointed it has to come to this. All I asked was a simple question. Where is Dimitri Belikov?"

His limbs were like limp noodles as he tried to bring his body upright. Janine kicked him in the balls and he fell back down; yet another noodle that would be limp until further notice. I stood up from my chair and buttoned my suit jacket.

Janine held him in place by putting her boot on his neck. When I reached his side he spit a wad of blood all over my Prada loafers and the leg of my Gucci suite pants. Now I was really pissed. "Janine, let him go, I've got it from here." I kissed her hand and she backed off. I bent down, taking a handful of the back of Kolya's shirt like one would grab a naughty puppy by the scruff of it's neck and dragged him to the closest wall. Once within range I held him up, turned slightly away and donkey kicked him into the wall where he bounced into a sitting position. I dropped into a squatting position by his side and grabbed his throat.

"Listen you Arian piece of shit. You are lucky that my business here is of a sensitive personal nature. Other wise I would make you lick the blood off my shoe then imbed it up your ass. Since I happen to have a life insurance policy on you I can honestly say they cost more than your life. " I took a breath, time for a little soft ball.

'You may find this hard to believe but until recently I had a daughter. A beautiful brilliant daughter with a future ahead of her, and that Strigoi son of a bitch killed her. Now, I happen to know you are a family man yourself. You and your wife have two children and a third on the way. Your boys, Kolya Jr. is 5 and Pietro is 2, the baby your wife is carrying is a girl. _Daddy's little girl_. What would you do if I said once I finish here, I'm going to break into your house and make it so you never see your children again? That you will never hold your daughter, Katarina, that's what your wife wants to name her right?" Kolya's eye's filled with panic,

"Abe, please? Not my family. Do what you want to me but don't hurt my family."

"You hear what you just said? That's exactly what I prayed for when I was told my daughter was dead. I'm not going to hurt your family. I pride myself as a ruthless man but there is a line that I won't dare to cross," Kolya relaxed some, "Unless I leave here without the information I seek. You see I am on a mission. I was a terrible father to my little girl. There is absolutely nothing I can do to change that. But I will get revenge for her. If I have to set the world on fire I will get revenge for her. That line I mentioned will go up in smoke if you don't tell me where he is!" I screamed in his face.

"They will kill me, kill my family. If I tell you, you must swear to help me hide my family. I'm only alive now because they need ally's from all sides."

"I am aware of the underground. My dealings with Boris are not unknown in these parts." This was nothing I didn't already know about though it would be quite a shock to many others. The Strigoi in Russia had built their own criminal empire, dealing in drugs and women for the most part. But they kept to themselves. They were not organized enough to be a threat outside the city of Novosibirsk.

"Boris is dead, all the leaders are dead. The underground is dead."

This was news. Janine and I had arrived in Berdsk this afternoon. I realized we would be in for a few surprises but this was not one I was expecting.

"What do you mean the underground is dead?"

"I mean it is no more. But the _Monarchy_ is rising."

"I don't like riddles Kolya, What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Lord Belikov, the Strigoi King! The one you say is responsible for your daughter's murder! He has killed all the clan leaders, formed an army who are loyal to him to the death. They say he has powers unlike any Strigoi has ever had before. More Strigoi come every night to follow him. Even Moroi and Dhampir are turning to follow him. He is promising a new world order for any who choose to join his kingdom. You have to get my family out of here. They will kill them if they knew I talked to you."

"Where is he hiding?"

"He isn't hiding. He walks in plain sight, fears no one. They say he can even walk in the sun…"

"Bullshit!"

"It's true! He rules from a mansion just outside the city. His army guards it from all sides day and night. You will never get to him."

"If he walks in plain sight, I should be able to get to him just fine."

I stood up and reached into my back pocket retrieving a folded stack of bills held together by a platinum money clip. I tossed the wad onto Kolya's lap. "$10,000 American, the clip is worth more than that. Your family is on my jet on their way to a monastery in Moscow. The people there are friends of mine, they will be safe. There is also a doctor there who will look after your wife should she give birth before all this is over."

"Thank you Abe," the look of a man ready to face his death crossed Kolya's face. He knew his family would be protected and that was enough for him to face whatever would come next.

After a tense moment I put him out of his misery "Downstairs there is a car waiting. It will bring you to the field where another plane is waiting to bring you to Moscow to join your wife and children. You are to stay there until I send word that it is safe to come back."

Kolya looked confused, then annoyed, then finally relieved. On unstable legs he stood to his feet and straightened his clothing. "Thank you my old friend. Good luck avenging your daughter." He held out his hand. I shook it firmly. Before he left his office he nodded at Janine, "Her mother?" he asked.

"Yes"

"I'm sorry for the loss of your child. My prayers and the prayers of my family are with you both." A looked passed between them, acknowledging he bore her no ill will for beating him. Then he swiftly left the office.

Left alone in Kolya's place of business Janine and I had a moment to plan our next move. She spoke first. "It's not possible for Dimitri to have powers like that."

"Of course not, this is propaganda. He's trying to make the vampire world fear him enough to follow him. _The Strigoi King_ , please. The Strigoi will never have a king. They're too self-serving. The fact that where were able to keep the underground as long as they had was a miracle. You knew him before all this, tell me again about the man he was. We will need every bit of information we can get. We cannot do what Rose did and chase after a ghost. We need to know the man to find the monster."

"Only 4 hours of daylight left, we should find someplace safer to have this conversation."

"St Basil's, it's a 2 hour drive north. I've already made arrangements for us to stay in their guest housing. That will be our base of operation for now."

"You know it would be nice if you shared these plans with me before I had to ask about them. We are supposed to be a team."

"We are a team, but if I had to tell you every thing I do as or before I do it, things would take forever. You fell in love with me because I think of everything remember?"

"No actually I…"

"We are wasting time, let s go. You can profess your undying love to me in the car." I walked out of the room and towards the stairs. Leaving an irate Scottish woman seething behind me. "Are you coming? Only 4 hours of daylight after all." I shouted. Her footsteps, heavy with rage, echoed in the hallway. I stood holding the door to the stairwell open for her. As she passed she opened her mouth to insult me further. Before she could say anything I played my charming card "Did I ever tell you how sexy you look when you're infuriated with me?" I followed my complement up with a kiss to her cheek, which was boiling hot from the blood that was rushing to the surface. Her skin was nearly the same color as her beautiful red hair. We stood there face to face for an edgy second. "Waiting on you," I said, my smirk acting as the exact opposite of her scowl. She let out an exasperated huff and entered the stairwell. I had to restrain myself from slapping her tight ass as she passed. That would be too much… for now. I mouthed a silent though triumphant _'I win'_ behind her back.

So rarely did I defeat my beloved Janine in our banter. But I was reminded of quote from Oscar Wilde's 'An Ideal Husband.' Lord Arthur Goring, my favorite character tells his father _'If we men marry only the women we deserve, we shall have a very bad time of it.'_ When I asked Janine to marry me all those years ago, I spoke the quote telling her I knew I didn't deserve her or our child but that I wanted them both anyway. She told me no of course. But I guess if she had said yes, she would be a different sort of woman. One I did deserve, and that thought frightened me more than death itself. Janine was noble and honorable, she was good. She was everything I wished I could be and everything I hopped Rosemarie would have been. Ultimately that was the reason I gave in and agreed to stay away for my daughter but only under the condition that I get annual updates on her. I sent gifts on her birthday every year though I have no idea if she ever received them. I also set up a trust fund for her that she would have access to when she turned 21; should she have chosen not to pursue a life as a Dhampir Guardian like her mother.

When Janine contacted me that Rose was in Russia looking for her boyfriend I pulled all my resources to keep an eye on her. I had spies everywhere watching her. When I saw her myself, it took all my strength not to tell her who I was or who we were to each other. It was one thing seeing her grow up through pictures and videos. It was quite another to see her in person. She had my mother's features. The very same one's that I inherited: Dark hair and eyes, olive skin, high cheekbones. We looked so much alike I worried seeing me would trigger the question I would not be able to answer dishonestly should she have asked. But she did not ask. I wanted her to ask it, willed her to ask it, even prayed for her to ask it. But she did not ask, so I did not tell.

I was mad with rage when she ran off with those foolish children who thought themselves _unpromised Strigoi hunters_. Stupid punk kids, that's all they were. That was when I lost track of her. My only connection at that point was Sydney. She kept getting calls from Rose after she and the band of _un-productives_ killed a Strigoi and needed it to be cleaned up. After each call I was torn between terror for my little girl and pride in my kick ass daughter. When I finally had a lead on her when she disappeared. The children she was hunting with had been slaughtered. Fear gripped my heart like it never had before. The only hope I felt was that hers was not among the corpses left behind by the monster we were hunting now.

The car ride to St Basil's was in silence. Janine still fumed from our little tiff. We were sitting in the back seat, each looking out the window lost in our thoughts till I felt something on my hand. Janine had put her hand on mine. I squeezed it and brought it to my lips. We never said things like _I'm sorry_ because honestly we never were. But we did make peace with moments like this. With her hand still in mine I pulled her to me. She rested her head on my shoulder as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "Sleep Janine, I will wake you when we get there. There's no one to battle in this car but me and I'm tired as well." She said nothing as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep. When I was sure she was out, I smelled her hair and kissed it. She smelled like the vanilla bath products I'd gotten for her when she arrived in Turkey. The scent left an ach in my heart. Awake she would never let me show her such tenderness.

No woman could ever top her. With all the joy and tragedy we shared in our lives together, any other woman would just be to pass the time until she returned to me. I whispered into her hair "I love you" and took another inhalation of vanilla before closing my eyes and joining her in a much-needed nap.

When we reached at the outer gate of St Basil's Academy the sky had just started to turn orange. Sunset was eminent. I gave my name to the gatekeeper and we were let in with no argument. My driver brought us to the parking lot closest to the guest housing building. The whole campus was originally a medieval era fortified town with stone built walls that were designed to keep out the deadliest of invaders, human invaders that is. To get into the actual building, we had to go on foot through a series of maze like interior walls. We took our bags from the trunk and I instructed my driver to find Sydney and have her meet me at first light, then he was off.

The interior walls were a relic from when the town had been active centuries ago; tall, grey, covered with ivy and moss. None of the entryways met up with the next. To get through we had walk through one gap turn right or left, walk 200 feet through a narrow passage then through another gap and so on. The walls were so high they keepd the temperature in the passage ways cool and rather damp. When we finally reached the interior I had a headache. "This place is worse than a maze. When will they teardown those ridiculous walls." I said allowed to no one in particular.

Janine knew this but answered anyway, "Never, the school feels the walls serve as one of their lines of defense against Strigoi should they ever get passes the wards along the outer gates."

"My dear, if Strigoi were ever to penetrate the wards this school would be doomed. No tangle of an entry way will save anyone."

"They got passed the wards in St Vladimir's, our daughter and some of her friends saved the school from being destroyed."

"Exactly, They don't have a Rose Hathaway here to protect them. They'd be doomed." Janine smiled sadly at the complement I paid our daughter.

"Hence the walls never being torn down." She replied.

A lifetime later, or so it felt like to me, we reached the guest housing building. A tall Dhampir girl with an earpiece and an iPad looked for my name on the reservation. In Russian she said "Welcome Mr. Mazur. I am Guardian Zolin. I must apologize for the inconvenience but your Guardian will have to share your accommodations." This was no problem for me but I knew Janine would not be pleased. She spoke perfect Russian and I knew she was already making a face behind me. "I requested separate accommodations for my Guardian. She is well respected and I don't want her reputation to be tainted by having to stay in my lodgings, you understand." I could see the girl starting to crack under the harsh glair of Janine. She continued, "I completely understand, but we have a political event happening this weekend. The Queen will be in attendance, so we are a bit overbooked. We can only afford you one lodging."

"What event?" Janine asked.

"The founders if the Moroi Defense program are presenting their results to the school board and the counsel members based here. Queen Tatiana has shown favor for the movement and made it a point to be present for the demonstration."

"What founders?" Janine continued her questioning.

"The Dragomir Princess, Lady Natasha Ozera and Lord Christian Ozera. They arrived yesterday. The event is set to take place tomorrow evening once everyone departs I will be able to accommodate your request for separate quarters."

I was about to protest on Janine's behalf but she spoke first. "That will be fine. Will you please send a message to the Princess that I would like an audience with her when she is available? She and my daughter were once very good friends and I would like to wish her luck on the demonstration."

"Absolutely Guardian Hathaway, and my I say, I am so sorry to hear of your daughter's death. Her devotion to her mentor's honor is to be commended, regardless of any surrounding circumstances. Guardian Belikov has some family in the area and a sister in attendance here. If you like I can arrange a meeting for you with them as well. As I understand your daughter spent some time with them."

It was my turn to cut off Janine, "That would be wonderful Guardian Zolin, I'm sure Guardian Hathaway would love to meet them." With that she escorted us to our room. When we reached the door Guardian Zolin asked us if there was anything else she could do for us. "Yes, I would like to know what time the event will take place and if there are and available seats for myself and my guardian. It sounds like a truly auspicious occasion, one I would not like to miss." I said. I did love making the royals sweat with my very presence. I made them all nervous, mostly because they all had dirty little secrets that I not only knew about but also have exploited for my benefit on several occasions. Other than that, people who had been close to my Rosemarie put this program together. Part of me wanted to see that her memory was being honored properly, and if necessary I would throw some financial weight behind the organization.

"The event starts tomorrow promptly at sundown. I will reserve two seats for you Mr. Mazur" I thanked Guardian Zolin and she took her leave. Now it was time for a much needed shower and food. Starting tomorrow Janine and I were sure to have our work cut out for us.


	12. Chapter 12

Lissa

I sat in the mess hall of St Basil's school waiting for Janine. It had been months since she and I last saw each other. Once the memorial service for Rose ended she told me she would be leaving but would make sure to find me another Guardian before her departure. She herself took the position when Rose first left for Russia, but after Rose's death I understood her need for space from Guardianship. I wished her well and we made a promise to see each other again and to always keep in touch. After all we were both no strangers to the loss of loved ones.

As soon as she entered the hall I ran to her. We embraced like the friends I hopped we would be one day. She pulled back and looked me over. "Princess! You look amazing! My goodness how much working out have you been doing?"

"You look amazing too! Your hair has gotten so long!" The last time I saw Janine her red hair had been cut in a bob that only reached her chin. Most Guardian women guardians kept their hair short as to keep the molnia marks exposed. But now her hair was shoulder length. It was very becoming on her and made her look much more feminine.

"Yes, I've let it grow…"

"It's my fault, I haven't let Janine near a pair of scissors in months." A deep accented voice piped in. It was Mr. Mazur, Rose's estranged father.

"Mr. Mazur, it's a pleasure to see you again Sir."

He placed his hands on my shoulders and kissed both of my cheeks. "Please princess I insist you call me Abe, you were like a sister to our Rosemarie. I hope we can all be like family to each other now."

"Only under the condition that you both call me Lissa. Come, I have a table for us." We three sat at a long wooden table. "I'm surprised to see you both together. At the memorial you appeared to part ways quite… coldly if you don't mind me saying."

Abe spoke first "Not at all Lissa, like I said we are family now. Janine and I had some unresolved issues that our daughter's devastating death brought to light. But I am proud to say we have worked them out and have come to a common ground of sorts."

"Yes, we have. I was surprised to hear we were all here at the same time. How are things with the Moroi Defense program going?" Janine asked

"Better than could be expected. Our results have been remarkable. Already our 5th year seniors have taken the Guardian field test and all have passed with nearly perfect scores. Tomorrow we have a very special demonstration planned, any chance the two of you will be able to attend?"

"We wouldn't miss it. I have already secured two seats for us. Actually we would like to discuss another business proposition for you." Abe leaned in closer as he continued in a hushed tone. "Janine and I are here on particular undertakings. I believe it's something you may be interested in."

"Abe and I are here looking for word on Dimitri. We know he has a sister here and family in a town not too far away. Our plan is to gather intelligence and avenge Rose's death."

My mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?"

"Indubitably serious Lissa, I cannot go on with my life knowing that monster is out there still. Rose deserves revenge." The look in Janine's eyes made me shiver. Of course I had thought about crossing paths with Dimitri again and avenging my best friend myself but they were actively pursuing him. "Janine, hunting Dimitri is what got Rose killed. How can you put your selves in that position? She wouldn't have wanted that for you."

"She doesn't want anything now, she's dead. We are her parents. Regardless of how terrible we were as parents it is out responsibility to get justice for our child. We figured as her best friend you might want a hand in this." Abe was loosing his patience. He reminded me of Rose. She had the patience of mad dog when her mind was set on something.

"I know it is a lot to think about right now Lissa. You are only 18 and have a life you are working to start. But I know how much Rose meant to you and wouldn't be able to continue this mission knowing you happened to be here and didn't at least bring it to your attention. You started the Moroi Defense movement to honor Rose's memory and to change things for our world. If you choose not to join us we will understand." I stood quiet for a moment contemplating what I should say.

"We're in," Christian appeared behind me holding two coffees and a sinister smile. "Your coffee sweetheart." He took the seat next to me and kissed my head. "When do we begin?" He asked. "Christian, what do you think you're doing?" I asked shocked and a little upset. "You have fought and pushed yourself for months. I know not all of it was for this program. You want him dead as much as they do and I want you to finally have peace. So, we're in. Do we have any leads as to where the bastard might be?"

Abe smiled a half slime that again was frighteningly Rose-like, "I like this boy. Janine and I have shaken down a few of my contacts and they all say the same bazar story. That Dimitri has risen to become some so called king of the Strigoi. It's all a bunch of crap. However we do know he is in Novosibirsk hiding out in some mansion on the city outskirts. He shouldn't be too hard to find."

"We should fill in my aunt Tasha on this. She and Dimitri were friends in school and she is an amazing fighter. I know she would want to help. If not to avenge Rose then to save Dimitri's soul."

"I don't care what her reasons for wanting to kill him are so long as she will be helpful." Janine said.

Was this for real? "Hold on a moment, just so I am crystal clear, we are talking about forming a lynch mob to hunt down and kill a man who has nominated himself king of the Strigoi?" It was one thing using his face as my target during training. This however, was a completely different can of worms.

"Come on Lis, you told me yourself your biggest regret was having no ability that would be of use to Rose. Now is your chance to really prove that the program is a success. Bringing down the Strigoi king? Even if his legend is all fluff it would be a sure way to close the deal on this movement of ours." Christian had a point but it still didn't sit right with me.

"Call me sentimental but I would think this mission is a little more personal than to be used as political propaganda. Rose was my best friend." I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "Alright, I'll do it, but we all must get one thing straight. I realize we all have reasons for wanting Dimitri dead but we have to be smart about it. He was one of the most celebrated Guardians of our time, which theoretically should mean he would be a very tough opponent. I cannot agree to this knowing any one of us has any inclination to go off half cocked and get themselves killed."

Janine looked at me sternly, "I agree with you Lissa. But everyone going into this has to know there is a chance they will get hurt and possible killed. Abe and I will do everything within our power to make sure it doesn't happen but it is a chance regardless."

She was right. Going against any Strigoi was putting your life in danger. The question you needed to ask of yourself was if the price was worth the cost. In this case, the answer was yes. "Ok then, we're in." I said. Christian clapped his hands together and stood up, "Yes! I'm going to tell aunt Tasha. She will want to know about this before the demonstration. We've had to move the time to midday rather than night fall for… safety reasons."

Janine and Abe looked at us questionably. "Safety reasons?" Abe asked.

"Yes, the Headmaster insisted on the time change when he was given the full details of what exactly we would be demonstrating. Don't worry you'll get it." I looked at my watch and gasped. "My goodness! We'd better be off. There's a lot to do and we still need to warm up! Christian did you get the keys to the fencing studio?" I asked.

"I already gave them to Tasha. She should be there setting up now."

"Great! Lets go. We will see you both this afternoon. Wish us luck!"

"Um, good luck?" Janine said still confused. I kissed her cheek and was off.

Abe

Janine look puzzled in Lissa's wake. "What on earth would cause the Headmaster to demand a time change like that?"

"I'm guessing their demonstration involves some visual aids. One's that will burn in the sunlight if things go wrong."

"No! You don't think they would… truly?" Janine covered her mouth.

"Natasha is a wild card. I have often wondered how stable she is after the attack from her sister."

"Oh have you? Exactly how much time have you spent _wondering_ about her?"

"Eh, it was a short fling after her attack, she knew of my reputation and tried to get my help to hunt down her relations with her. I told her no but didn't stop myself from sampling what she brought to the table."

"You disgust me sometimes."

"You made the rules my dear. Besides that is all behind us now." I tried to take her hand but she pulled away. I knew she'd be over it in an hour or so. I heard meek footsteps approach us from behind. We both turned to see a skinny Dhanpir girl dressed in a school uniform. She had long dark hair, pail skin and brown eyes. I recognized her immediately.

"You are Abe Mazur?" she asked in English spoken with a semi thick Russian brogue.

"I am, and you are Viktoria Belikov."

"Yes, I know you as well Guardian Hathaway, Roza's mother."

"Yes, what can we do for you Viktoria?" Janine asked. I could tell she was conflicted. Viktoria couldn't be more than 17 and had nothing to do with what happened to Rose. But her relation to Dimitri complicated things. Viktoria sat across from Janine and began telling us why she came.

"I'm sorry for what happen to Roza. When she stayed with us we all grew to love her like one of our own. We considered her Dimitri's widow. My Mama wanted her to stay and live with us. I think she was going to but I messed everything up. The night she left I asked her to meet a boy I liked. She tried to tell me he was no good but I didn't want to listen. When the boy said he didn't want me after all, I blamed Roza, said terrible things to her. Then she left."

I saw Janine's eyes melt at the girl's mournful words. "I know about that Viktoria. As I was told Abe here had some involvement with the situation. She was looking out for you, that's just the person she was. But Rose left because she was a stubborn girl who was set on the mission she came out here to accomplish. She would have left eventually. It wasn't your fault."

"You don't understand, I would have ended up just like my sisters if she hadn't helped me. Pregnant and alone, living with our mother and grandmother because the community was all we had. She made me realize that I want more than that. I want to be a Guardian like you, like my brother… was." She looked down, tears budding in her eyes, which she quickly pulled back. "But before I do that I need to do something else and I need help."

"What do you need to do?" I asked

"I need to lay my brother to rest once and for all."

I couldn't suppress the laugh that all but erupted from my lungs, "Viktoria, you are a child. What would make you think you could do such a thing?"

She produced a manila folder and handed it to Janine. "This is my transcript. You will see that I am at the top of my class this semester and have not been beaten in combat class once this year. I even have letters of recommendation from several of my teachers that will show you I am ready to go into battle."

"How did you get letters of recommendation for this?" Janine asked as she looked over the transcripts. Was she seriously considering the girl's participation?

"We are graduating next semester, I told my teachers I was applying for a position with a prominent Moroi." She said looking directly at me.

"Ok, nice move but the answer is no Viktoria. You're only what? 17?"

"18 next Tuesday. I overheard your conversation with the princess. I know you are already underway with hunting Dimitri down. You have to let me help. My Mama wouldn't speak to me when Roza left our home. Now she writes to me like I'm a stranger. My sisters say she cries herself to sleep almost every night. It was hard enough loosing Dimitri but to have lost Roza as well. It's like she lost two of her children one right after the other. I need to bring her some kind of peace. Please? I am begging you."

"And if she were to loose you as well? Did you think of that? We aren't going in for a lesson in combat. We are going to war. There is a very large chance we wont live through it."

"Then my Mama will know I died doing what was right. This will sounds cruel but the truth is I would rather die facing what remains of my brother than live forever in a small town alone with only my fatherless children to keep me company. I have every respect for my Mama. She raised me to be strong and have values that I will carry with me always but I don't want to be like her, I can't."

Janine cracked a smile. The girl reminded her of herself at that age. "You're a vicious little thing aren't you?" She asked.

Viktoria looked her dead in the eyes "Sharks are born swimming Guardian Hathaway."

Janine nodded her head. "Ok, welcome to the team. Meet us back here after the demonstration."

Viktoria squealed "Thank you so much! You will not regret this!" She left her seat and took off like a shot in the direction of the registrar's office.

I looked at Janine in shock, "What did you just do to that poor girl?"

"She has a right to face him just like we all do."

"And you say I'm sick? She is a child,"

"She's old enough to know what she wants and she's in, end of story."

"You are playing a very dangerous game here Janine."

Lissa

The fencing studio was the perfect location for our demonstration. It was a grand room with an elevated rectangular stage in the center. On the walls were banners and awards from fencing competitions throughout Europe, Asia and some from America. St Basil's was known in our world for their fencing team and therefore were granted with this addition to the campus a few years ago. In the back corner of the studio was a podium where a judge would normally call out the points. Today that podium would be there we gave the verbal portion. Tasha, Christian and I all had speeches prepared that outlined the individual work we had each accomplished, what was being done to further the progress, how the program would benefit the students of St Basil's and the gravitas of the situation we would ultimately trying to conquer Moroi's complete dependence on being protected. There would also be testimonials from Moroi we had spoken to who had lost friends and family to Strigoi attacks and how things could have gone differently had the Moroi had at least a bit if defense knowledge.

But the grand finally would be our big physical demonstration. Christian and I would each show our progress by going against live Strigoi; hence the use of the fencing stage. We had used some of Tasha's less reputable resources to acquire 2 Strigoi that were being held in the storage room below the studio in silver cages. I hadn't seen them yet but was very excited to show my skills to all in attendance. Although the school's Headmaster did go into a bit of a rage when he found out about the live Strigoi. He almost put a stop to the whole thing. It wasn't until Tasha reminded him of the Queen's plans to attend the event that he finally conceded under the condition we conduct the demonstration during the day. Being that Moroi couldn't be killed by sunlight but were affected by it, thick black curtains were installed over the large windows. The curtains were rigged with an electrical release that if activated would cause them to drop completely. Should things go wrong with the Strigoi portion someone would activate the release mechanism thus filling the room with sunlight and burning the Strigoi. Should nothing go wrong, as we were counting on, the curtains would insure all the Moroi in attendance would not be bothered by the time of day.

The most surprising attendee was Queen Tatiana. When she heard of the demonstration we were planning she completely cleared her schedule to be here. Tasha was thrilled. She said the movement was finally getting the attention it deserved.

Noon was approaching and people were staring to arrive and find their assigned seats. At the head of the stage was the seat reserved for Queen Tatiana and her royal guard. I saw Janine and Abe; they both waived at me and took their seats to the left of the stage. The butterflies in my stomach were going ballistic. Once all the adults had been seated, the students filed in. Christian stood next to me and whistled "Full house babe, you nervous?" "No," I answered a little too quickly for it to be true. He laughed quietly "Liar, don't worry we'll do great."

"We don't have a choice."

"Which is exactly why we will." He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. The trumpets signaling the queen's arrival sounded off. This was it. All the planning and training had come to this moment. Everyone stood when Tatiana entered the room and sat when she took her seat. She gave no introduction, only nodded to Tasha motioning for her to begin.

Tasha walked confidently up the steps to the podium, cleared her throat and began.

"Thank you everyone for having us here today. I would especially like to thank Queen Tatiana for making it a point to be here for such a momentous occasion. One that could very well be the next steps in revolutionizing our world. Your Grace, we are honored by your presence. Our world is a small one. We have kept it the stuff of legend and fairytale to the human world. To this day, after hundreds of thousands of years they still think of our kind as myth. Part of how we have been so successful in doing so is by staying within the confounds of tradition. But as the human world has needed to evolve to survive, so must ours.

'The concept of the Dhampir protecting and the Moroi staying protected has served us well all this time. However, the truth is, it is no longer practical. The Strigoi are becoming more organized, tactical even. The recent attack on St Vladimir's Academy is proof of that fact. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the details of those events allow me to enlighten you. An army of Strigoi took refuge in a series of caves outside the protective wards of the school. There they waited patiently for an opportunity. One night while a group of Moroi students were practicing magic without permission within close proximity to the wards, the Strigoi found their opening. The magic the students had been practicing negated the wards and left the school open to attack. Many students and faculty lost their lives that night. The students responsible for negating the wards told officials they were trying to lean how to use their magic to fight the Strigoi. Now some of you may hear this and think 'If those students had kept with tradition and trusted in their Guardians none of this would have happened,' in some ways you're right. But you are also wrong. Thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of two students, more lives were saved than lost. Those students are Christian Ozera and Rosemarie Hathaway."

The crowed began to murmur at the mention of Rose's name. Tasha continued.

"One of those students is here today while the other can only be here in spirit. Christian Ozera being a fire user was able to destroy dozens of Strigoi while fighting alongside a novice Dhampir. And the students responsible for bringing down the wards would never have done so were they given the opportunity to train their gifts for more than just warm and fuzzy classroom exercises. Today we hope to show you not only the benefits of Moroi learning to protect themselves but also the astounding results from two who already have. Thank you"

Tasha bowed her head and left the podium. The audience applauded as she stepped down. It was Christian's turn to speak. He shook Tasha's hand and went to the podium. "Hello everyone. My name is Christian Ozera. I would like to begin by setting the record straight about my activities the night St Vladimir's was attacked. First of all my participation in any heroics was completely accidental. Rose found me after the Strigoi had entered the school grounds and just about forced me to help her. Until then my confidence in my magic was limited. It wasn't until a brave gutsy Dhampir told me in so may words to get my head out of my bum and fight back with her."

The students and a few faculty members laughed. I even saw the queen try to hide her grin.

"The only reason I was able to be of any help at all was because I happen to be a fire user and fire kills Strigoi. If I had been a water user I would have been of no help at all. Now, I say this not because I think water users are of no use but because I had no idea what I was doing. I just basically set anything I saw on fire out of fear and adrenalin, not skill. Had I been given the chance to learn how to use my magic to defend myself and protect others, Rose and I could have been even more successful. More over the school would have lost none of our own, because everyone would have had the opportunity to learn the same things. Today we have an air user who has learned to manipulate the air strong enough to break a Strigoi's neck thus enabling them long enough to be finished off, an earth user who has developed his gifts where he can summon boulders to squish a Strigoi like one would kill a fly and a water user who is able to blast a Strigoi with a force equal to a fire whose and knock them unconscious. We were able to accomplish all of this after only 1 semester of instruction. So you see, all our gifts are useful, lethal, and empowering. I thank you all for listening and introduce you to the real woman behind the program. Princess Vasilisa Dragomir."

The applause was much louder this time. When I reached the podium I dried my palms on my hips, took a deep breath and began.

"Good afternoon…" A deafening ringing that filled the room cut me off. I though it might have been from the microphone but soon realized it was from another source. Nothing electronic but from something within the space of the room. Everyone covered their ears and looked all about searching for the cause of the ringing. It was almost like it was coming from the air. When the ringing stopped a few moments later we all looked confused. Silent confusion gripped us all. Then we heard something new, whistling. Someone was whistling a tune I had heard before but couldn't place. Something from out of an old movie, a western I thought. Then I remembered a night back in school when Rose insisted we watch 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.' That was the song; she said someone recommended it to her. That it was their favorite movie. The air froze in my lungs. I began to shiver. Then he appeared. Standing at the center of the fencing stage, dressed all in black, as if he had been there all along was the man I had pictured killing a hundred times.

"Dimitri…"


	13. Chapter 13

Lissa

"Strigoi!" A Guardian I didn't know yelled. He and the other Guardians in the room immediately went into formation. They were about to engage when another deafening sound like an explosion erupted from where Dimitri stood followed by a gust of wind that knocked all the Guardians back. The booming sound sent me ducking for cover behind the podium. Everything vibrated like the sound barrier had been broken. I looked over the podium and saw Dimitri was completely untouched. Another wave of Guardians came at him. He made a pushing motion with his hands and one by one they were all sent flying.

"This is completely unnecessary. We only came to give our support to the movement. This will go much faster if everyone stays where they are. We are not here to kill you, well most of you." He smiled showing a set of razor sharp fangs. "Lovely speeches by the way, I was truly moved." I saw the queen's guards had surrounded her prepared to kill Dimitri should he make an attempt on her life. "My god it has been so long since I was in this room. It was not this grand though when I was captain of the fencing team. I love what you've done with it."

A Moroi student tried to make a break for the open door. As soon as he reached it the door inexplicably slammed shut on his face and he hit the floor, his nose gushing with blood. "Didn't I just say to stay seated?" I shuddered as the resof the doors to the studio slammed shut. Dimitri held out his hand and the boy flew across the room, his neck landed in Dimitri's open palm. He held him by the neck suspended over the edge of the stage. "Your whole generation needs to learn how to listen better, now go back to your seat before I break the rest of you." Dimitri let the boy go and we fell to the floor. Once on his feet the boy ran back to the safety of his chair.

"How did you get in here?" I asked, my voice cold as ice.

"You brought us here Princess. Or, well Tasha did but it wasn't her fault. We compelled her to see different faces when we were delivered in those cages."

"Dimitri?" Tasha asked, her voice gave away the fact that she was holding back tears at the sight of him. "What has become of you?"

"What has become of me? I have been reborn, freed. In fact I come with glad tidings: a welcome wagon for all those who desire freedom from this dismal existence of servitude. I spent my life following orders from the Moroi. Fought and bled for a race of spoiled brats who deserved little more than the steam off my piss. Anyone here who knows what that feels like; who dreams of becoming more than your station says you are worth. I welcome you into my kingdom. There you will be free to live a life you never thought was possible. Anything your heart desired can be yours. Money, power, the physical love of many or as was in my case, the true love of one. Join us and learn this freedom for yourself."

My head was reeling. He sounded like a cult leader peddling empty promises in order to gain people's trust. This was my chance to face the man I dreamed of killing all these months and show that I was not afraid of him.

"The true love of one you destroyed!" Janine yelled. She stood from her seat completely defiant. "You killed our daughter! She loved you and you killed her for trying to save your soul you monster!" Abe stood beside her.

"I understand why you would think that Janine, But Rose's reasons for finding me were misguided. My soul never needed saving, it needed it's other half. A fact she could not understand at the time. And how could she have when she was raised to never desire anything for herself. Her mind filled with the lies of this world." He turned away then looked back at Janine "Wait, did you just say 'our daughter'?" He looked from Janine to Abe "Oh now that is priceless. No wonder you gave her away so soon. You were ashamed of your own actions with a man like him. So ashamed you could never take pride in the beautiful woman your daughter became because all you could see was him. Now here you are together for what? Did what happened to her drive you back into each other's arms? Pathetic."

"You said you were here to show support, for what exactly?" I addressed him trying to take his mind off Janine. It was clear he was getting agitated with her and I couldn't let him make an attempt on her. It worked. He looked directly at me. I stood my ground doing my best to show I was not afraid of him.

"We believe the Moroi should absolutely learn to defend themselves. Otherwise they will be of no challenge to us at all when we hunt you down and destroy you all. The joy of hunting is the game after all. Without it you are all just little ants we will step on with no thought what so ever. Where's the challenge in that?"

"You keep saying we, who are you talking about?" Christian asked with no hint of fear in his voice.

"Christian Ozera, all grown up are we? I am referring to my subjects, my army, my allies and most importantly I am referring to my beloved wife. Come say hello my love."

My heart stopped. I looked around the room praying not to see whom I thought he was talking about, but I saw nothing.

"Come now darling, now is not the time to be shy." He smiled and continued looking up at the rafters "Marco…" silence "Marco…" we all looked around the room. I went through what he said to Janine just now in my head. Nothing he said referred to Rose being dead exactly but still. It couldn't be. The tension was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Once more he said "Marco…"

"Polo" A voice I hadn't heard in months but would have recognized anywhere came from right behind Tasha Ozera. Tasha whipped around and came face to face with a not so dead Rose Hathaway. "This is for ever touching my man," Rose made a slicing motion with her left hand. Tasha reached for her throat as blood began to pour from it. She collapsed on the floor. Christian ran to her side "No! Aunt Tasha! Please no!" I could see him trying to stop the bleeding with his hands but it was no use, Tasha was dead. Christian held her in his arms and sobbed. "You fucking bitch!"

Rose had made her way to the stage with Dimitri. She looked at Christian brought her hand to her mouth and fake cried then dropped her hand and giggled. "Rose?" her name left my mouth before I could stop myself. "Hey Lis, miss me? Wow you look great, been hitting the gym haven't you? It's paying off; Christian must love how you look naked, or is it Andrew again? Sorry I stopped caring a few months ago."

"We all thought you were dead. What has he done to you?" I shouted.

Christian placed Tasha's body on the ground stood to his feet and began running at Rose. A battle cry emerged from his throat. I saw the fire balls begin to form in his hands but then they stopped and turned blue. He had stopped running as well. But his body language was still in motion. Then I saw Rose had her hand up palm facing him. His skin was turning blue and the area around his cheekbones and knuckles were cracking open. She had frozen him. "Stop it! Rose Please!" I begged. How on earth were they doing these things? She dropped her hand. Christian stayed in the position in which she frozen him. "That was totally self defense, everyone saw that right?"

"I did my love." Dimitri came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She turned and they began to make out in the middle of the stage.

Queen Tatiana stood from her seat, "Enough!"

"Uh oh, Queeny's mad." Rose said

"Well we are in a school, they do frown on PDA. Besides I don't think she has gotten fucked for a while. We're probably making her jealous." Dimitri responded. They were nothing like before. There was no respect in them.

"You have no authority here! You are monsters who prey on the innocent. Creatures of the night cursed to burn in the light of the sun and so you shall!" she signaled for the mechanism that was set to drop the thick curtains that blocked the afternoon sunlight to be discharged. The curtains fell to the ground immediately. The sun filled the studio with light. Rose and Dimitri began screaming at the top of their lungs. They dropped to the floor and writhed in pain. We all waited for them to burst into flames but they didn't. Then their screaming turned into evil maniacal laughter.

"What? No one else thought that was funny?" Rose asked. "I told you they wouldn't get the joke."

"Some people have no sense of humor, or irony. I'm guessing you all are thinking, 'How are they not dead?' The answer is a bit involved but allow me to give you the simple answer. We are the ends all. King and Queen of the Strigoi monarchy. Anyone of you who would care to join us will be welcomed into our kingdom. Any who try to oppose us will become food." He turned to Queen Tatiana and pointed his finger at her. "As for you, you're highness. I know you are fond of it but I think I speak for everyone here when I say we are sick and tired of hearing the sound of your shrill fucking voice." He moved so fast my eyes couldn't register what happened. One moment he was standing next to Rose, the next we had completely moved passed the Guardians and was holding the Queen by her throat, her body in front of him. She screamed at the touch of his cold hand on her neck.

"How does it feel to be powerless? To be helpless?"

The rest of the Guardians swarmed Rose and pulled her off the stage. I couldn't believe how quickly they were able to subdue her considering what she just did to Christian. But there she was. Held in place by six Guardians, a silver steak pointed at her heart. The Guardian in charge yelled to Dimitri, "We will stake her! Release the Queen or she's dead!"

"Oh is she?" he said. I could see Rose's face. Her red eyes started to glow ever redder. The glow spread from her eyes to the rest of her face and neck. Her teeth clinched as she took in a deep breath and screamed. As she screamed a blast of fire exploded from her that incinerated all six of the Guardians holding her in place. The explosion was so grand it took out several students and staff that were within reach of it.

"Rose no!" I heard Abe shout. The appeared to be vacuumed back into her as she looked for him. "This is not who you are kiz evlat. Don't become what that monster wants of you."

"Kiz evlat? Daughter? You're kidding me right? You wanted nothing to do with me all my life and only show up because you think I'm dead?" She brought her hand up again. Abe levitated off the ground. He choked for air as if an invisible fist were clinching his throat. "You didn't even have the nerve to come forward with who you were when I saw you in person. You just hid behind your ridiculous mobster persona and now you have the nerve to call me your daughter?"

Janine walked in front of her "It was my fault Rose, I made him stay away. He wanted us to raise you together but I didn't think he would be good father to you. If you have to blame someone blame me…" Janine too levitated and gasped for air. "You, do you know how many nights I cried for you when you left me at the academy. I was three years old but I remember." In the air Abe and Janine reached for each other. "You hardly even came to visit me. Fuck this, you two can have each other." Rose clapped her hands and they slammed into one another before falling back to the ground. Neither one of them moved. I ran to Janine and felt for her pulse. She wasn't dead, just knocked out. I looked back at Rose "How could you?"

"How could I what bestie? Looks like you and mommy dearest got offal close. Let me guess, your parents are dead so you figured you'd steal mine? Or did she adopt you out of a need to make up for how shitty a mother she was to me? I'll venture it's a little of column A and a little of column B."

"She loves you Rose, She always has. They both do. Don't do this, there must be some of the old you left"

"You are so freaking lucky we have bigger plans for you otherwise I'd drain you here and now you Glenda the Good Witch pain in the ass."

"Why wait, I've been training to take on that bastard you call a husband for months. I'd be glad to start with you."

She rolled her eyes at me. "I'm board of this place baby, lets finish what we came here to do."

Dimitri smiled, "Gladly Roza. You're majesty? I'm going to ask you a very serious question. In the event of your untimely death, who would you name as your successor?"

"What?" The Queen asked.

"I don't like repeating myself Tatiana. Time is ticking, who will it be?"

"You can't do this to me!"

"I can do anything I want, going once…"

"You wont get away with this!"

"Going twice…"

"Vasilisa! I name Vasilisa Dragomir!"

"Sold." Dimitri's fangs pierced Tatiana's throat. Everyone screamed in horror as Dimitri began to drain our Queen of blood. More Guardians rushed to Tatiana. Dimitri still with his fangs in Tatiana's throat, raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The Guardians who tried to save the Queen all violently turned their heads to the side. He had broken their necks.

"Hold on now! That's not right!" Rose shouted. For a moment I hoped she was coming to her senses. That the real Rose had come back to us somehow. "You're not going to drain that old bitch all by yourself are you?" I couldn't have been more wrong, she wasn't trying to stop him. She wanted to join him.

Dimitri lifted his head and looked at her. "I wouldn't dream of it my love." He grabbed the Queen's hand and bit into her wrist. "Go long." He said grinning, blood dripping from his fangs. He held up Tatiana's wrist with one hand and with the other made the pushing motion again. Tatiana's blood streamed in the air on an invisible current. The current took her blood across the distance between Dimitri and Rose. She opened her mouth and the blood poured into it.

I almost vomited. Still holding Janine's head in my lap I felt tears fall down my face. What was happening? They were unlike any Strigoi I had ever heard of. They we more than monsters, hey were demons.

"Mmmmmmm, good to the last drop." Rose said rubbing circles on her stomach and licking her lips.

Dimitri dropped Tatiana's lifeless body and began making his way to Rose's side. Guardians tried to attack him but each one was thrown aside by gusts of air he summoned with the flick of his hand. Rose joined his side and they walked to the windows.

"Any one who is sick of following orders from these feeble wretched fools, come to Novosibirsk. We will find you."

"Goodbye Princess, I mean, Queen Lissa. I'm sure we will se each other again very, very soon." She looked over at Christian who was still frozen and snapped her fingers. He collapsed, his battle cry still in gesticulation though it was cut short by a wave of cold disorientation.

Dimitri grabbed Rose's waist and they disappeared.

Everyone looked around frightened of leaving their seats incase they hadn't really left. After a moment the remaining Guardians ran to our murdered Queen. "She's gone." One said. Then all eyes were on me. Tatiana had named me her successor before Dimitri and Rose killed her. In that horrible moment full of fear I had become the new Queen.


	14. Chapter 14

Rose

12 hours before the demonstration

Our spies had informed us of Lissa's arrival in Russia, whom she arrived with and what she came here to do. Immediately we sent more spies to watch the perimeter of St Basils for any intelligence and also sent some Dhampir Guardians who were loyal to us into the school to gather more detailed information. When the reports came back Dimitri and I couldn't have been more pleased. This was the opportune moment we had been waiting for. That crazy bitch Tasha was planning on using live Strigoi as part of her demonstration? And the headmaster was allowing this?

"It's almost Shakespearian." I said to Dimitri.

"Are you kidding? It's totally Shakespearian. The villain invades his former home as a celebration before the Queen is underway," he circled around the dining table of the banquet room towards me, mischief written all over his face. "He makes a grand entrance gives a dramatic speech then!" he told the story with a mildly dramatic flair like he was putting on a show only I could see. I couldn't suppress my smile. "As if his presence in this heavily guarded sanctuary isn't shocking enough, he reveals he is not alone. He is accompanied by his stunningly gorgeous bride. A beauty the world though was long dead. They declare war on the rival kingdom, kill the queen and escape completely unharmed." When he reached me he grabbed my waist and lifted me into the air. I wrapped my legs around his waist and we kissed passionately for a long moment. "William would have called it 'The Revenge of Romeo and Juliette' "

I loved this playful side of him. A side I didn't know existed until we were both freed. Unwilling to let go of the carefree Dimitri just yet, I continued our little game. "Sounds like an Errol Flynn film. I don't know, I'm starting to think the story is a little more of a Western than Shakespeare."

"Now, you're speaking my language. Tell me the western version I'll let you know if you're right."

"Well, the rebel cowboy rides into the town. Wasted posters with his face cover every post in sight. He vows revenge on everyone who wronged him and kills the dictator who runs the town then rides off into the sunset with the woman he loves."

He laid me down on the table and climbed over me. "How did I do?" I asked. "Clint Eastwood would kill to play the cowboy in that movie." He responded as he placed his right hand on my jaw. His thumb traced my lips.

"He'd have to get through you first." I reached up and grabbed handfuls of his long hair, pulling him to my lips again. His hips pressed against me showing how badly he wanted me. I met his pushing with some grinding of my own. The friction of our bodies heated things. His kissed trailed from my lips to my neck. "Roza, I need you. Before we enact this plan I need to have you. " His left hand traveled from my hip up to my breasts gliding over them to the collar of my shirt, which he quickly ripped open.

"My body is yours my love." I said in a husky lustful tone.

"However I want it?" he asked with his face buried in my breasts. I could hardly think as he kissed, sucked and bit the tender flesh of my nipples. "Tell me Roza. Tell me I can have you however I want you. Tell me you are mine." One hand reached under my leggings and panties to the wetness that was developing between my legs. He was the only man to ever touch me that way, the only one to ever know me carnally. I would never want anyone else for all eternity. I tried to say it but the words were lost in the pleasure he was giving me. "Say it my love. Say it for me" he massaged the bundle of nerves between my legs and slipped one finger inside me. I almost didn't want to give in to his request just to keep the sensation going. My stomach dropped as the heat flooded my body. It was like going down the first free fall on a rollercoaster. I lived for that feeling from him as much as I lived for his pleasure.

"I'm yours Dimitri, however you want me." I screamed at the peak of my orgasm. As I came down form the high Dimirti pulled me off the table onto my feet. He turned me around and with a gentle push of his hand, put me in a bending position over the table. I knew exactly what he wanted and arched my back seductively as my upper body sunk lower to the table. He removed the scraps of my torn shirt and ran his fingers down my spine then back up to the tattoos at the back of my neck. He took a moment to trace them with his fingers. "I would give anything to be able to remove these from your beautiful neck. Slavers marks, that's all they are." His hands slid back down my sides and over my ass. "I'm going to take such pleasure in your body right now just to spite them."

"I hope that's not the only reason you want to pleasure yourself with me."

He gripped the waistband of my leggings and pulled them down to my knees. "Not at all Roza, I want this pleasure for me, for us. I want to make you scream my name at the top of your lungs. But I also want to enjoy this because for too long they have told us we don't deserve this. We don't deserve true love…" I heard the light tings of his belt buckle being undone and the zipper of his pants opening. I also heard his shirt fall to the floor. "…That we don't deserve a life of our own…" his hand went between my legs and spread the moisture all over my core. I was panting. "…That all we were worthy of was to give our lives only to be replaced the next day like light bulbs." I felt him rub himself against my sex, this was torture but it was also amazing. "We will take everything from them Roza. We will take it all." He slid inside me so fast and hard a loud moan escaped me of it's own volition. With one hand Dimitri grabbed my hip and the other fisted in my hair. He pounded into me with long hard thrusts that sent me to the moon and back.

"Dimitri!" I shouted

"You feel amazing Roza, so tight, I can't…"

He let go of my hair and bent over me, his hands landing on top of my hands. We held on to each other moving as one. I could feel the drops of sweat drip from his chest onto my back sending more shivers through my body. Every pore on my skin wanted to be covered by Dimitri. I could feel the climax rising in us both. He held my hands tighter and we shuddered as we both came. He kissed my back as he pulled away from me. My knees buckled as I turned around to face him, my balance totally off. The fact that my pants were around my knees didn't help. I rested my behind against the table and looked at my husband. He'd backed up to the wall behind pressing his back into it to keep himself upright.

"How the hell does that just keep getting better?" he askes

"Guess that's the way it is when you find _the one_."

He closed the distance between us again and kissed me. It was the kiss of a deeply sated man in love. "I'm never going to not need you. I needed you then but now that I have you I could never live without you. I want to make all your dreams come true Rose."

"You already have" I whispered into his lips. As if the gods of jealousy were at play, Dimitri's cellphone rang. He dropped his head and grunted annoyed by the interruption. "Could be worse, it could have rang five minutes ago." I said as he reached for the phone.

"If it had whoever called would have signed their death warrant regardless of their news. " He tapped the talk circle on the touch screen. "This better be important… excellent… follow her, I'll call for confirmation in 10." He hung up and looked at me. "Tasha's on the move. We need to get dressed." He handed me his shirt as mine was no longer an option and we rushed to our room for fresh clothing.

Two hours later Dimitri and I stood perched on the rooftop across the street from the dilapidated office building where Tasha Ozera was conducting a meeting with a very shady character. We were at least 200 yards away and the windows were closed but could focus our hearing as if we were right in the room.

"…and they can be caught tonight?" she asked.

"I assure you, they will be apprehended and brought to the cargo gates of the school before daybreak." Said the crooked man. "How do you plan to get them passes the wards? I can trap them just fine but even I can't get them onto the grounds."

"I've got that covered, just make sure they're there before first light. I can't do what I'm planning if they arrive well-done if you know what I mean."

"I understand completely Lady Ozera. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, this will be all." She dropped a wad of money on the table.

"Quite a change of pace. The last time you requested my services you had a very different reason for wanting live Strigoi to arrive somewhere." He smiled wickedly.

"Well things didn't go the way they were supposed to go that time did they?"

"You said for the pack to attack the school so you could scare your boyfriend into seeing reason. It wasn't my fault he went all hero-happy and got himself turned. I did my job. I convinced one of the clan leaders into the action for you. But that was where my job ended. It's your problem that you fell in love with a boy scout."

"Fuck you Anton. You had better keep you mouth shut about all that. Don't forget I know a few things about you that I'll bet the counsel would find very interesting."

"Relax would you, I'm not rat. But if you want to get mad at someone get mad at yourself for have terrible taste in men."

"The problem wasn't my taste in men, it was his taste in women. Or girls I should say." Tasha looked at the floor.

"He's still out there you know, ever think of switching teams? I'll bet he's no boy scout now. The two of you might make a good team seeing as you are no angel either."

"Never, his goodness is what made me fall for him in the first place. Now he's just a monster with Dimitri's face." Tasha walked out of the door.

Back on the rooftop I looked at Dimitri and laughed dryly. "Oh man, I knew I wanted to kill that bitch before but now, I think I want it a little too much."

"Because she's the reason the school was attacked?"

"No, because she organized the attack to try and take you from me."

It was his turn to laugh. "She's such a stupid girl. When I turned her down she asked if there was someone else I wanted. I told her there wasn't, that I just didn't see her that way and she just about lost it. She had no idea that I was lying to her but I think she suspected it was because you."

"She undoubtedly hoped I'd get killed in the attack. And they say the Strigoi are the monsters? We are what we are but we wouldn't do something like that."

"You're right, we'd just kill them face to face."

"Exactly," Dimitri and I were no stranger to schemes but when it came down to the dirty work, we did it ourselves. Tasha was the monster and she needed to go even if I didn't already have personal reasons for wanting her dead.

Dimitri took my hand and led us to the other side of the roof. "We will follow her associate and compel him to think he trapped us."

"I'm not to thrilled with being locked in a silver cage for the next 9 and a half hours."

"Neither am I but it's the best way to gain entry into St Basil, and how much fun will it be crashing Lissa's little gathering?"

"Ton's" I smiled. We reached the end of the roof. Before we jumped off I looked back at the snow-covered area we had just walked across. Not a single footprint.

During our training session we learned we did have elemental magic. Dimitri could easily control both air and earth while I had water and fire. We had seen Moroi use their magic all our lives but none of what we saw growing up was anything in the magnitude of our capabilities. Dimitri's ability's with air and earth were unbelievable. With air he could break the sound barrier standing completely still by just snapping his fingers , send 200 mile an hour winds in any direction by pushing the air around him and manipulate the sound frequencies of the air from growling low tones to pitches so high they could shatter glass. With earth he had unlimited control over anything that came from the earth: stone, soil, metal, wood etc. During one session I saw him collapse a condemned building with his mind. Anything from sink wholes to earthquakes were cake for my love. He could also control the actions and emotions of others. Not just compulsion, which was ultimately influential hypnotism. He could straight up alter people's state of being. He didn't even have to use words. It reminded me of the love charm we fell victim to once. The difference being he didn't need trinkets to control the person, he only needed the person to be within sign.

In my training I learned my water magic wasn't limited to tangible water. I could control the water in a physical being. After all one thing Humans, Moroi, Dhampir and Strigoi had in common was we were all made up of water, 50-60% to be exact. I could freeze and/or heat the water molecules in individuals. I could either boil them alive or freeze them to death all by influencing the water in their cells. Fire was a whole deferent ball game. Not only could I control any open flame at my will, I could also create fire by speeding up by own molecules fast enough to create an explosive spark that I was able to erupt from within me and push outwardly. The heat was so high it incinerated anything and anyone within 50 yards of me, except Dimitri. Another fun fact we discovered is that we were both impervious to flame.

While we were both ecstatic with the development of our abilities, we were also a bit frustrated that we each only had control over particular elements. We were sure however that this was only temporary as both of us could each felt the possibility to control the elements that evaded us. We just weren't there yet. There was however a few abilities we shared. We both had telekinetic powers that enabled us to move objects at speeds of up to 60 miles an hour. Our speed had increased as well. We were able to move so quickly through open spaces that to anyone around us we appeared to have teleported. The best ability we shared was gravity manipulation. An untrained onlooker might call it flying but it wasn't as simple as that. What we did was contravene our pull of gravity so we were actually lighter, kind of like astronauts in outer space. Though a big difference between Neil Armstrong and us is we could still move as though we were our normal weight. None of that floating nonsense you could see on TV. This came in handy on nights like tonight when we didn't was to leave any trace of our presence on a snow-covered rooftop. Sure I could have used my water magic to repair the snow but why clean up a mess when you could avoid making one all together?

Once on the ground we waited behind the building where Tasha had her meeting with Anton. A garage door opened and Anton backed a rusty pickup truck equipt with a towing apparatus out of the garage. Loaded in the back of the truck were two cages that looked like something a hunter would use to trap wild animals. The bars were chrome shiny. Dimitri and I knew the shine wasn't steel like animal cages usually were made out of, they were silver. More than that, they were silver that had been infused with Moroi magic. As far as we knew, that was out only weakness. It would take all of our strength to make it through the next 9 hours in those things.

"I will take care of him" Dimitri said taking a step forward.

"No you wont, you need to save your gifts for when we get into the school. Until then I'll take care of any compelling."

"You need your strength too Rose,"

"I know that, but since you developed your hijacking technique you haven't been able to separate it from regular compulsion which intern eats away your energy, now stop arguing with me ok? Great." I kissed him fast, unzipped my leather jacket enough to show some cleavage and walked up to the truck before he could dispute me anymore. It was clear we were not yet at full power at the moment but with Tasha, Lissa and Tatiana all in the same place at the same time; there was no way we could pass up this chance to make our reveal. So we decided we didn't need to be 100% for this, just percentage enough to make people think we were at 100%. Not that they could be able to tell the difference in the first place. No one had ever done anything like what Dimitri and I were up to. He just needed to show off some parlor tricks, kill a few people and the next phase of our master plan in motion. But in order to do that, we would need 2 things: 1, to use as little energy as possible before the demonstration and 2, to get ourselves into those cages.

When I came into view Anton stopped the car and eyeballed me. "Hi there handsome, want some company?" When his eyes finally pealed themselves off my boobs and into my eyes I had him. With my compulsion I gave him my orders, "Turn off the ignition, get out of the car and open the cages." He did exactly as I commanded.

When the cage doors were opened Dimitri and I stepped inside. They were even smaller than they looked from afar. The dementions were only 2'x2'x7'. Just being this close to all that silver was making my stomach turn. Before we left home Dimitri and I deassed in head to tow leather to protect us from the silver. otherwise this trip wouldn't be impossible. I turned my attention back to Anton, "Now lock the cages and call Tasha. Tell her you caught the Strigoi for the demonstration and you are heading to The school now. If she questions how quickly you caught us you will respond with, 'Hey, I'm just that good'"

Dimitri put on his gloves and we braced ourselves for the long bumpy car ride to St Basil's Academy. "This trip is gonna suck" I said

"Yep,"

I looked at Dimitri slightly shocked. "That's it? No Zen master addition to my negativity? Aren't you supposed to say something like, 'It's a means to an end' or 'it will be worth it when we see the looks on their faces'? You know, something profound and motivational."

He turned his head and cocked an eyebrow at me. "I attended this school since I was 5, rode the bus to and from campus every holiday break. I know exactly how bumpy the road is and we are traveling on it in 2 silver cages with standing room only that are being transported by the truck that time forgot. So yes Rose, this trip is going to suck. I'll start the 'Zen master' stuff again when we get out."

Being this close to the silver was getting to him too. It was kind of nice knowing I wasn't the only one so affected by it. "Fair enough. I should warn you, that assessment sounded quite Rose'ish. I think my sarcasm is rubbing off on you."

He grinned, "I'd be blessed if I ever develop your sharp wit. It's one of my favorite things about you."

I smiled back at him "I'd totally kiss you right now if it wouldn't melt my skin off to press my face against the bars." The truck started up. Anton backed up onto the street and landed in the biggest pot whole on earth. Even though I braced myself against the back of the cage in a locked in position with my skin covered as much a possible by leather, the jolt caused me to bang my head on one of the bars. The burn was nearly unbearable, "Mother fucker!" I saw Dimitri had taken a knock to the head as well but was content vocalizing his pain with a simple yet effective macho growl. I silently wondered how long till he was cursing along side me.

' _Probably not very long'_ he answered through the bond.

Two grueling hours later we arrived at the cargo entrance at the back of St Basil's. My body was killing me from all the tension of bracing myself for so long. My head was a totally different story. It had been knocked around so many times I was sure my healing capabilities would be seriously challenged to fix everything. Dimitri hadn't faired any better that I. There were gashes and burns all over his face. I wanted to badly to reach out my hand and examine him but that was still not an option. Especially since my gloved ripped at the knuckles half way here I could now see the bone peaking through the torn leather/melted skin. I closed my eyes and hung my head desperate for some relief.

"Rose, are you ok?" Dimitri asked.

"As well as can be expected, but I'll feel much better after I drain the driver then beat the shit out of his body. Are you ok?"

"I'll be fine once we get out of here. But we can't kill Anton. He has information we can use to help bring down the Moroi.."

He was right of course, but I still whined a little for my dashed payback plan on the worst driver in the world. "Can I just hurt him a little?"

"Roza…"

"One punch to the face and I'll compel him to think he got in a bar fight or something. I wont kill him I swear."

Dimitri sighed and nodded his head. "Fine, but not here. We can't know who may be watching. The bars obstruct our faces from afar; we cannot risk being seen leaving the cages until we are inside."

I growled frustrated. "Well we need to feed before we do anything and it would be smart to _share_ a little too." We had become accustomed to using the term _Share_ in reference to our drinking of each other's blood. It made sense since the sharing of our blood didn't actually nourish us on the physical level. It did however help give our powers a nice boost.

The truck came to a complete stop. Tasha stood on the cusp of the wards with a dagger in her hands. The dagger was clearly silver but there was a different vibe of energy coming off of it. The energy reminded me of the dagger Dimitri and I used for our wedding ceremony. She stabbed the dagger into the empty space and cut and X in the air. Then she stepped aside for the truck to pass. The truck passed the wards like they weren't there at all.

'Clever little bitch' I thought 'She found herself dark magic silver to open up the wards'

'I'd love to know where she found that little toy of hers.' Dimitri thought back to me.

Tasha looked at us through the bars and froze. "You…" she started to say when Dimitri hacked her mind. Her shocked expression immediately turned indifferent. She spoke to Anton. "Load them on the forklift over there then go, hurry I only have 5 minutes to close the wards again."

Anton went to work loading us where Tasha had instructed. When we were out of the truck and on the forklift. I watched carefully as Tasha followed the truck to where she had cut the opening in the wards. This time she took the dagger and reversed her actions, I realized she was sealing the opening she created to get us in. Tasha had no way of knowing, nor would she ever know, but she had just educated us on some other capabilities of dark magic silver. We maid it, we were in the school and we were ready for war.

TO BE CONTINUED


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello readers! I deeply apologize for how long it took me to post this chapter. A combination of writer's block, work and family life made getting through this section of the story extremely difficult. I will be posting chapter's 16 & 17 by Sunday so I hope you enjoy what I have for you here.**

Chapter 15

At the time of the demonstration

Dimitri

We stood in the darkness of the storage room waiting for Lissa to take the podium. That was when I would make my appearance and introduce Rose back into the world of _good vampires._ I heard Christian finish his speech and announce the Princess' turn to speak. "Let the games begin," I whispered to my Roza kissing her head as I took in a breath and began whistling a piercing note. My ability to manipulate the air in the room allowed the sound to travel so deep into everyone's ears that there was no way to shut out the noise. The entire room felt the pain of the unnerving sound. _'That got their attention!'_ Roza said through our bond. I ended the sound and was ready to reveal myself. I suddenly remembered Rose's comment about this being like a western and we both cracked smiles. I then began whistling the theme song to one of my favorite films, _The Good The Bad and the Ugly_. Roza's amusement after the first three notes urged me to continue. When the song came to a close and left the safety of our hiding place and I took my place at the center of the fencing platform. A moment of shocked silence cloaked the room. I had moved far too fast for anyone to have seen me coming so it took a little time for everyone to figure out what was happening and what to do next. Then the expected mayhem ensued.

"Strigoi!" someone yelled, a guardian most likely. The surrounded me. I waited for them to get nice and close, brought up my hand and snapped my fingers. A visible burst of wind expelled from my fingers that knocked them all on their asses. This was going to be easier than I thought. It was time to elucidate my presence.

"This is completely unnecessary. We only came to give our support to the movement. This will go much faster if everyone stays where they are. We are not here to kill you, well most of you." I couldn't help but smile knowing they would all be in for a show none would soon forget. "Lovely speeches by the way, I was truly moved." I said to Lissa. Taking a look around the room, I felt a pang of resentment. How many tournaments did I win for this school? How many injuries had I suffered for absolutely no good reason? Brainwashing, that's why I did it. "My god it has been so long since I was in this room. It was not this grand though when I was captain of the fencing team. I love what you've done with it."

My attention was brought crashing back when a lanky Moroi tried to run out of the doors. Hatred boiled up in me. How typical, a Moroi running and hiding. Ready to leave everything to the guardians and let them all die for him. I waited till he was close enough to the doors and slammed them closed on his spoiled little face. He hit the steel with such an impact that he was sent soaring backwards. I could smell the blood from his nose. It was broken for sure. _'10 points'_ thought my Roza. I proceeded to will all the doors shut. Probably should have done that sooner but the delay did send a message that no one was leaving until we gave concent. "Didn't I just say to stay seated?" With my mind I grabbed the boy's neck and willed him across the room into my grasp. "Your whole generation needs to learn how to listen better, now go back to your seat before I break the rest of you." Sadistically I let him go, enjoying his quick drop and a hard stop as he fell 6 feet to the ground. The sound he made as he scurried back to his seat vaguely reminded me of a mouse running into it's hiding place after being frightened.

"How did you get in here?" Asked the princess doing her best to sound tough. I had to hold back a snicker since gall coming from that powder puff was like an ant protesting against a boot: both admirable and pathetic in not so equal measure.

"You brought us here Princess. Or, well Tasha did but it wasn't her fault. We compelled her to see different faces when we were delivered in those cages." There was no need to fill her in on my Hijacking skill. I'd be using it again very soon and wouldn't want their knowledge of that ability to cause a fuss until much later.

"Dimitri? What has become of you?" Tasha, who was possibly the biggest hypocrite in the room, looked at me with sorrowful pity. I knew it had nothing to do with the attack she orchestrated or the many lives she indirectly took. No, that look was because her plan to make me run into her arms backfired and, in a way, it was because of her that I became the monster who stood before her now. Stupid girl, she had no idea yet, but her karma chips were being cashed in today.

"What has become of me? I have been reborn, freed. In fact I come with glad tidings: a welcome wagon for all those who desire freedom from this dismal existence of servitude. I spent my life following orders from the Moroi. Fought and bled for a race of spoiled brats who deserved little more than the steam off my piss. Anyone here who knows what that feels like; who dreams of becoming more than your station says you are worth. I welcome you into my kingdom. There you will be free to live a life you never thought was possible. Anything your heart desired can be yours. Money, power, the physical love of many or as was in my case, the true love of one. Join us and learn this freedom for yourself."

I spotted my little sister Viktoria sitting amongst the Dhampir students. In my heart I hoped she out of everyone present would hear my words and join us. It was too late for my older sisters. They had responsibilities to their children. Even as a Strigoi I would not separate children from their parents. I would not have my nieces and nephew grow up without their mothers. It would be better they die together than live with the heartbreak loosing each other. Having fatherhood in my future made me realize these things. My mother and grandmother would not fair this life well either. There would likely be a time when I would have to kill them all but that time was not now. For now they were safe. But Viktoria still had a chance. She was willful and strong; much like my Roza. I would do anything to elevate her from the future she would surely have as a Guardian. But if she chose not to join me, I would kill her as well. Though I don't think I would enjoy it so much.

"The true love of one you destroyed!" A woman yelled taking me out of my thoughts. The voice belonged to Janine Hathaway. She stood up and glared at me. "You killed our daughter! She loved you and you killed her for trying to save your soul you monster!" To her right stood a man in a very flashy suit. I knew him well, Abe Mazur, _Zmey,_ the snake. Everyone in Baia new of him and I had seen him more than once conducting business with the former clan leaders before Rose arrived in Russia. Guess Janine wasn't being so picky about her employment these days. I desperately wanted to kill her knowing all the pain she caused my wife from her earliest memories. The only thing preventing me from doing so was respect for Rose. If anyone deserved to kill that woman, it was her own daughter. Besides, killing my mother in law was probably a bad thing, even if it happened to be the fantasy of every married man on earth. I calmly addressed her claim.

"I understand why you would think that Janine, But Rose's reasons for finding me were misguided. My soul never needed saving, it needed it's other half. A fact she could not understand at the time. And how could she have when she was raised to never desire anything for herself. Her mind filled with the lies of this world." It felt respectful enough. I'd save the insults for later. Then something she said clicked. "Wait, did you just say 'our daughter'?" I looked at Janine then at Abe and saw the resemblance for the first time. Same hair, eyes, chin, even their angry glair was similar. I could feel Roza's shock though our bond. She made the same realization and was shocked. Then her hurt seeped in. I couldn't stand knowing the pain she felt over this revelation. The time for respect was over. "Oh now that is priceless. No wonder you gave her away so soon. You were ashamed of your own actions with a man like him. So ashamed you could never take pride in the beautiful woman your daughter became because all you could see was him. Now here you are together for what? Did what happened to her drive you back into each other's arms? Pathetic."

A growl started in my throat. In a moment I was going to rip both of their heads off and punt them right into the Queen's lap. How dare they cause my Roza such anguish. She deserved to be adored, worshiped. Not abandoned and ignored. I could practically feel me fangs digging into their necks when the princess stole my attention.

"You said you were here to show support, for what exactly?" Her tone was anxious. I could tell she was just trying to divert my attention from my _in-laws_ to her. The distraction was enough to tame my rage slightly. Janine and Abe would get their due another time but for now it was back to business.

"We believe the Moroi should absolutely learn to defend themselves. Otherwise they will be of no challenge to us at all when we hunt you down and destroy you all. The joy of hunting is the game after all. Without it you are all just little ants we will step on with no thought what so ever. Where's the challenge in that?" Lissa's face paled.

Christian was the next to show a brave façade. "You keep saying we, who are you talking about?"

What a joke. He puffed up his chest and spoke to me like a doleful boy trying to show off for his girl. "Christian Ozera, all grown up are we? I am referring to my subjects, my army, my allies and most importantly…" I held on to the moment knowing my next words would start the fire that would bring down this house of cards for good. "I am referring to my beloved wife. Come say hello my love."

' _Keep them entertained lover, time for me to settle that personal matter we talked about,'_ Rose told me through our bond. I knew exactly what she was going to do and I couldn't wait to see the looks on everyone's faces so I played the crowd a little more drawing out the suspense.

' _Have fun my Roza, but do not reveal what we know yet. There will be time enough for that once the brat becomes queen.'_ I continued engaging the attendees.

"Come now darling, now is not the time to be shy." I was having too much fun with this. The fear in the room was so palpable it was making me thirsty. I decided to taunt them some more. "Marco…" I could feel Rose getting into position. "Marco…" This little game was getting me drunk with power. I held everyone's fear in the palm of my hand. It was like a symphony I conducted from the stage and it was time for the crescendo "Marco…"

"Polo" There she was, my stunning wife. Standing right behind Tasha Ozera. From my position I couldn't see the look on Tasha's face so I looked through Rose's eyes. I did not want to miss a moment of this from any perspective. "This is for ever touching my man," with her left hand Rose sliced Tasha's throat open, her blood spilling over her clothing and down to the ground.

' _You're not going to drink her?'_ I asked.

' _I want no part of that bitch inside me'_ she responded.

I shrugged _'Good point,'_ That was when a very upset Christian interrupted us. "No! Aunt Tasha! Please no!" He cradled his dying aunt's body. "You fucking bitch!"

Rose ignored his insult and joined me on the stage and rolled her eyes.

"Rose?" Lissa asked. She sounded like a mouse.

"Hey Lis, miss me? Wow you look great, been hitting the gym haven't you? It's paying off; Christian must love how you look naked, or is it Andrew again? Sorry I stopped caring a few months ago." I couldn't help smirking at her sass. I loved that about her.

"We all thought you were dead. What has he done to you?" The princess raised her voice. For once I was impressed with her impertinence. It did not last long however since Christian decided to throw a temper tantrum. He screamed with all his might and began a fire assault on my Rose. She put it to an abrupt end by freezing him in place. The princess made a sad attempt to beg for Rose to stop, which she did. We had no intention of killing any more people than necessary today. Everyone expected Strigoi to be these vicious monsters that would kill everything in sight. While this was very true, we agreed earlier that the best way to instill alarm in the Morio/Dhampir society would be to present ourselves as civilized as possible. Our only kills would be done to make a statement. There would be time enough for carnage during the battle that lay ahead. Rose's choice to kill Tasha and not drink her only furthered that image. It was a very wise move on her part even if it was only out of spike for Tasha.

She ended her immobilizing of Christian and held up her hands in mock surrender. "That was totally self defense, everyone saw that right?"

"I did my love." The rush of this revelation overwhelmed me and I needed to touch her. I held her in my arms and kissed her deeply. Our bodies sang with need for each other. We had been planning this day for months and now it was here. Our romantic moment was cut short when an annoying voice that dripped with fake power yelled out from behind us.

"Enough!" The queen yelled and stood up like a petulant child. Rose and I looked at each other for a moment and knew it was time to play to the younger more rebellious students in audience.

"Uh oh, Queeny's mad." Said my Roza.

"Well we are in a school, they do frown on PDA. Besides I don't think she has gotten fucked for a while. We're probably making her jealous." I could here some shocked gasps but quietly hidden behind cautious hands was a level of quiet laughter. One particular laugh caught my attention, Viktoria. Her laughter was quiet and subdued but I would know it anywhere.

"You have no authority here! You are monsters who prey on the innocent. Creatures of the night cursed to burn in the light of the sun and so you shall!" the Queen nodded at someone and the curtains that shielded everyone from the sun fell. Rose and I shared a quick humorous look before we dropped to the floor and pretended to be in pain. The feeling of relief washed over the audience as we screamed. But when we did not burst into flames as everyone expected the relief quickly turned in awkward nervousness. That was when we started laughing. Our laughter was a middle finger to the pompous royals who thought they were safe behind their final armor of sunlight.

We stood back up and looked around. "What? No one else thought that was funny?" Rose asked and turned to me. "I told you they wouldn't get the joke."

I shrugged, "Some people have no sense of humor, or irony. I'm guessing you all are thinking, 'How are they not dead?' The answer is a bit involved but allow me to give you the simple answer. We are the ends all. King and Queen of the Strigoi monarchy. Anyone of you who would care to join us will be welcomed into our kingdom. Any who try to oppose us will become food." Again I looked at my sister. I could see in her eyes that while she was still skeptical of my offer to the group, a spark of interest had taken root. That was enough for now.

I turned my attention back to Queen Tatiana and pointed at her. "As for you, you're highness. I know you are fond of it but I think I speak for everyone here when I say we are sick and tired of hearing the sound of your shrill fucking voice." I positioned myself right behind her and grabbed her throat. I lowered my head so my mouth was against her ear. "How does it feel to be powerless? To be helpless?" Both her pulse and heart were going hummingbird fast.

Rose knew Guardians were coming for her and she let them drag her off the stage. Quite willingly she stood and allowed them to hold her in a seemingly immobilized position. One Guardian held a steak to her heart and shouted, "We will stake her! Release the Queen or she's dead!"

I smiled at the Guardian, "Oh is she?" I asked and looked back at Rose and sent one thought her way. _'Torch them.'_

Her molecules sped up and combusted sending an inferno that started at her center and incinerated every Guardian that held her. She even took out a few students that were close by. It was beautiful.

"Rose no!" Her _father_ shouted. "This is not who you are kiz evlat. Don't become what that monster wants of you."

As the flamed were absorbed back into Rose I felt the hatred in her upsurge. He called her his daughter and she was not happy about it. "Kiz evlat? Daughter? You're kidding me right? You wanted nothing to do with me all my life and only show up because you think I'm dead?" With her mind she lifted him off the ground and started choking him. "You didn't even have the nerve to come forward with who you were when I saw you in person. You just hid behind your ridiculous mobster persona and now you have the nerve to call me your daughter?"

Janine stepped in front of her in an attempt to save her lover. "It was my fault Rose, I made him stay away. He wanted us to raise you together but I didn't think he would be good father to you. If you have to blame someone blame me…" It was Janine's turn to feel the power her daughter had developed. She too was levitated off her feet and strangled.

"You, do you know how many nights I cried for you when you left me at the academy. I was three years old but I remember. You hardly even came to visit me." Through our bond I tried to console her and remind her that today was not a day for final vengeance. It was a day to instill fear and break their resolve. I knew I had gotten through to her as her anger eased a bit. "Fuck this, you two can have each other." My Roza clapped her hands and crashed them into one another. Their lifeless boddies fell with no grace to the hard floor.

I turned my attention back to the Queen, reaching deep into her mind to her darkest fears. I saw that she was most afraid to die by the hands of a Strigoi. I saw her contingency plans should she be faced with death and I saw whom she would choose as a successor should she ever need to make the decision. Her choice surprised and repulsed me for many reasons, Adrian. She would have chosen Adrian to succeed her? That lush waste of life? This just wouldn't do. Rose felt the news I sent her way, which took her from her catfight with Lissa.

"You are so freaking lucky we have bigger plans for you otherwise I'd drain you here and now you Glenda the Good Witch pain in the ass."

"Why wait, I've been training to take on that bastard you call a husband for months. I'd be glad to start with you."

Doing her best to push the rage aside Rose addressed me once more. "I'm board of this place baby, lets finish what we came here to do."

I smiled as the thought I implanted in Queen Tatiana's mind too root, "Gladly Roza. You're majesty? I'm going to ask you a very serious question. In the event of your untimely death, who would you name as your successor?"

"What?"

"I don't like repeating myself Tatiana. Time is ticking, who will it be?"

"You can't do this to me!"

"I can do anything I want, going once…"

"You wont get away with this!"

"Going twice…"

 _Vasilisa_ , I fed the name to her once again, _Vasilisa Dragomir_. "Vasilisa! I name Vasilisa Dragomir!"

"Sold." It was done, she named the blond brat, and now Tatiana's usefulness had come to an end. So I extended my fangs and bit into her vain. Her royal blood that was both a position of status and an excuse for tyranny was like liquid gold flowing into my throat. I so needed to feed after all this excitement. I could feel my power growing with every drop. The Guardians made a final attempt to save their Queen but it was inept. With the snap of my fingers I sped the air around them so quickly it broke all of their necks simultaneously.

"Hold on now! That's not right!" Rose called out to me. "You're not going to drain that old bitch all by yourself are you?" I released Tatiana's throat, time for our final trick.

"I wouldn't dream of it my love." I scored the bitch's wrist and vacuumed what was left of her blood. "Go long." The red river that flowed through the air was a true sight to be seen. It flowed right into my lovely wife's mouth. She moaned at the pleasurable taste.

"Mmmmmmm, good to the last drop

Tatiana's body thudded as I dropped her carcass. Rose and I took each other's hands made our was to the windows and said our final words to the atendee's.

"Any one who is sick of following orders from these feeble wretched fools, come to Novosibirsk. We will find you."

Rose addressed Lissa one last time. "Goodbye Princess, I mean, Queen Lissa. I'm sure we will se each other again very, very soon." I took Rose's waist and we were gone from their sights.

We landed just before the wards still on campus property. The two of us were positively giddy over how well everything went. "We did it my love." I said taking Rose's face in my palms and kissing her deeply. When we finally broke our kiss she pressed her forehead to mine, "We are going to free them all, and kiil anyone who gets in our way."

"Yes Roza, we have showed them another way of life. By nightfall the streets of our city are going to be flooded with followers. But first we need to open the doors, for them to come."

She grinned "I'm ready when you are."

We raised our hands to the wards and willed all our elemental power into the ether. The wards began to warp. They felt like a balloon that was being over filled with air. All of our strength was poured into them. Then, just like that, the wards burst open. A vibration went through the campus that sent us stumbling for a moment. As we regained our equilibrium we were both stunned with a feeling of fulfillment. Like we reached another level of our power. Two Guardians approached us at a run with weapons in hand. Rose Looked at the one on the right while focused on the left. Immediately we thought death into their minds. The Guardians dropped to the ground like sand bags. We walked to the corpses, kicking them a little to see that they were really dead, they were. Rose shrugged, "Waste not want not," as she took a knee and drank I could feel how power increasing so I did the same. When we were both finished a new power was at the cusp of our grasp. We both felt it. We held each other tight and thought of our mansion. We felt a gust of wind and a cold sensation, but when hwe opened our eyes we realized we had completely dematerialized and transported ourselves back to our home.

Rose laughed shocked "Now that is fucking cool!"


	16. Chapter 16

Janine

The events that occurred during what was supposed to be a simple demonstration had shattered everything I thought I knew about the world we all lived in. Rose, my daughter, was not dead. Worse, she was a Strigoi. Even worse than that, she and her _husband_ were nothing like any Strigoi anyone had ever seen. They were the stuff of pure nightmares. The one's you didn't know your brain was capable of creating until you awoke in your bed screaming, reassuring yourself that none of it was real. But there would be no reassurances from this nightmare.

I poured another finger of whiskey in the glass before me as the tears started again. My eyes stung as the pain in my heart triggered them to leak. "My baby," I said into the void. "What has he done to you?" I held the baby picture of my little girl and drank.

Abe strolled out of the bedroom of our suite dressed in a navy blue pinstripe suit with a purple tie and matching pocket square. His shoes were perfectly buffed. The sight of him so well put together set me in a rage. "Well, well look at you, all paint and polished and ready to hit the town. No one would every think you had just witnessed your not undead daughter slaughter over a dozen innocent people. How easy it must be to be you."

"You're drunk Janine, go take a shower and sleep it off."

"And now you're bossing me around. How like you. Heartless, cold, empty, unfeeling, worthless son of a bitch." Moving completely at the will of the booze I sucked back a wad of spit and tried to hurl it in his direction. Unfortunately all I managed to do was fall on my face with drool running down my chin. The picture of Rose fell from my grasp. As the glass of the frame shattered so did all that was left of my coherency. "No, no, no! Rose! Rose!" I scrambled to collect the broken glass fragments. I felt Abe hold me back.

"Stop it Janine! You're cutting yourself. It's just the glass from the frame, the picture is right here." He guided me to the couch and handed me the photo. She looked so little, dressed in a green dress with a pink ribbon in her hair. She must have been 2 years old. In truth I don't even remember taking it, probably because I didn't. I did my best to keep my distance from Rose when she was very small. Otherwise I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hand her over to the academy. I tried to be a mother who only took care of her most basic needs. It was my way of protecting myself from loving her too much. The more I tried not to love her though, the more I did. Now seeing what she had become broke me.

"You were right Abe, you were so right. I should have married you. I should have kept her with us. This is all my fault" I sobbed.

"Shh, my love. I'm here, it'll be alright."

"How? How on earth will anything ever be alright again?"

"Because, we are going to do what we came here for. We are going to destroy that bastard."

"What about our daughter? I can't live knowing she's one of those things."

Abe paused for a moment. Through the alcohol I could see his eyes became glossed. He was holding back from crying as well. "We will save her soul. I promise you my love she will be at peace and when she is, you and I will honor her the only way we can."

"How?"

Abe took my hands and looked into my eyes. His look was the same one I had seen all those years ago when I first told him I was pregnant. "We will have a proper funeral and then we are going to make her legitimate. Marry me Janine."

Before I could respond his cell phone rang loudly. "Answer it Abe, I think I need to lay down before I say yes or no."

He reached for the ringing device and answered it with agitation. "What?.. Oh really?"

Lissa

Christian, Viktoria and myself sat in silence in the deserted mess hall. The quiet was deafening. In truth none of us knew what to say. Where could we possible go from here? Of the three of us, Viktoria looked the most anxious and was the first to speak.

"Several Dhampir students have run off to join them. My dormitory was almost completely empty when I left to meet you both."

"How can they do these things? They obliterated the wards. Nearly all the Moroi students have fled ro gone off to join them as well." Christian asked.

I looked at them both as their eyes pleaded me for an answer. "Why are you looking at me that way?"

"You are our Queen now." Viktoria stated the obvious.

"Yes for all of about 20 seconds. As far as I know there is no Queen that has ever had to face a threat like this. What makes you think I know what to do?"

Footsteps approached. The steps belonged to Abe. He entered the mess hall with determination. "Hello children, and your majesty"

"You're late," Christian said.

"With good reason. Your Grace, may I have permission to speak freely?"

"Abe, I haven't even wrapped my head around everything that's happened today so please at least until my coronation, lets just keep this simple?"

"Very well then, I suggest you get that coronation moving post haste. And I would like to offer my services as your adviser."

"That's your good reason? You want to put your name in for a job?" Christian sounded disgusted.

"Yes, young boy. And my first bit of advice would be for you to release Victor Dashkov from prison and into the custody of the crown."

"Are you mad?" Christian jumped from his seat. "Do you have any idea what that lunatic tried to do you her? He tried to kill her!" Viktoria jumped in between Christian and Abe doing her best to calm the men.

"I am well aware of what he has done but unlike you child, I have information that will help us!"

"Christian! Abe! Both of you calm down! That's an order!" I shouted.

Abe grinned, "That's more like it. Now are you all ready to hear my plan? Or would the boy like to show some more bravado?"

"Tell us your plan." I said.

Abe let out an exasperated breath. "Have either of you ever heard the name Robert Doru?"

We looked at each other confused. Clearly none of us had ever heard that name before. Abe continued, "He is Victor Dashkov's illegitimate brother who survived internment from Strigoi. He knows what Rose and Dimitri are up to and is willing to help us under one condition…"

"That I release his brother from prison?"

"Precisely"

"Even if I consider this, it will take weeks for a coronation to be organized and I would still need to get this past the councel."

"Hence my offer as your advisor. I know every member of the councel and all of the dirty little secrets. With me as your right hand, no one will go against you on the notion. Especially if we make it clear that Victor's release will be into the custody of the crown, not total freedom. He will live under strict provision."

"House arrest?" Christian asked.

"Yes."

"This plan is good but it will take too long. God know what those two will be capable of during that time."

"That is where she comes into play." Abe pointed at Viktoria.

"Me? What can I do?"

"Were you serious when to told Janine and myself that you desire to lay your brother to rest?"

"Of course."

"I saw how he looked at you during the demonstration. He wants you with him. You will be our inside person."

"What is he turns me? I will be useless to you then."

"Convince him you are more useful as a Dhampir for now. Take this with you." He handed Viktoria a cell phone. "It's encrypted and completely untraceable. Delete every message you send and receive immediately. No go, pack you things and leave on foot for the city. He must find you."

With a quick nod of her head Viktoria was off. Abe turned back to me. "Gather what is left of your Royal Guard my Queen, we must leave for Pennsylvania at first light. I offer you my resources. It will not be safe to travel any other way."

"The Guardians have gathered all who remain in the chapel. We will leave from there. I hope for all our sakes that this plan of yours will work"

Viktoria

To say I was afraid at the prospect of facing my brother would be a serious understatement. The darkness of the woods filled me with fear the likes of which I could not understand until now. In my head I went through all the prayers I had been taught. I repeated them over and over in my head.

' _O Angel of Christ, holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me everything I have done to offend you every day, and protect me from all influence and temptation of the evil one. May I never offend God by my sin. Pray for me to the Lord that He may make me worthy of grace of the All-holy Trinity, and of the Most Blessed Theotokos, and of all the Saints. Amen'_

I knew the moment I sat before Guardian Hathaway that the day would come when my strength would be put to the test. I just didn't think it would be so solitary. But still I pressed on. A lamb among wolves.

When I reached the city the bitter coldness bit into my bones. My nose had begin to run. I wiped it on my sleeve as I looked around for any sign of life, but there was none. It was like the entire town had been put to sleep like in a fairy tale, a dark frightening fairy tale where monsters where real. A shadow passed to my right. I turned but saw nothing. A gust of cold air brushed my cheek but still I saw nothing. Then a man appeared. He was tall and approached me with an elegant stride.

"You're a long way from home little girl." He was a Strigoi, there was no doubt about it.

"I'm looking for someone." I replied.

"Ah, you must be one of the school girls looking to join our ranks."

"Something like that." He circled me like a shark. I could feel my hear pounding our of control. With all my training I had never seen a Strigoi up close before not counting seeing my brother and Rose hours earlier. I tried to remember the rules of battle: Never give up your back, Never try to out run a Strigoi, Never hesitate.

"I can hear your heart beating, it makes me so thirsty."

"I was told any who came here would be welcome into the kingdom."

"And so I welcome you little one. But I am not sure if you will make it to the kingdom. For the night is dark and full of terrors."

"Game of Thrones? Really? You try to scare me with lines from a television show?"

He laughed, "Forgive me little one, I assumed all of you school children were sheltered from the outside world. Popular culture and the like and I've been dying to use that line on someone."

"Well you've used it, now if you please, I must find my brother."

"I can help you little one, if you will only be my friend. I can be a very good friend." He came closer and smelled me. "Ah, a virgin as well. Delicious." He opened his mouth and bared his fangs.

The time had come to fight. I picked up my right leg and side kicked him under his chin then spin into a turning hook kick with my left. It wasn't much to throw him off but it was enough for me to pull the stake from inside my coat. As he regained his stance I braced myself. Our battle was interrupted by a loud piercing whistle. _Dimitri,_

"Michael, did you not hear the girl say she needed to find her brother?"

The Strigoi I now knew was Michael dropped to his knees "I am sorry my King. She was so very tempting I could not restrain my thurst."

"That it because you are weak. I have no room for weakness among my people." Dimitri looked at me I slowly went down on my knees, the same as Michael.

"Hello Your Majesty,"

"Ah, I am very glad to see you Vika, and I am brother to you first and forever. Arise sister." He reached for my hands. I took them and he brought me to my feet.

"Dimka," I couldn't stop the tears that escaped my eyes. He looked exactly as I remembered him. I didn't even notice his eye color are fangs, I just saw my brother.

"Don't cry Vika, we are together again, a family. I'm going to bring you home now. There is so much for us to discuss."

I nodded my head and he wiped my tears away. "But first sister, finish what I interposed. Kill him."

I had to remind myself that he was asking me to kill a Strigoi but I found it suddenly much more difficult than when he was attacking me. This time he was on his knees not putting up any sort of fight. It felt wrong like this. But I knew I had a bigger mission and Michael was a Strigoi after all. So I walked up behind him, rose my arm and stabbed him in the heart.

Michael's body fell to the cold hard ground. Looking down at his corpse I felt overcome with emotion. I turned away and began to vomit. I felt Dimitri's cold hands pulling back my hair a moment later. "I'm sorry brother,"

"Shh, no need to apologize, the first one is always the hardest. Let it out."

When I knew there was nothing left for me to expel I stood up. "Better now?" he askes

"Yes"

"Good, now lets go home." He pulled me into a hug and I felt us moving. It felt like we were in an elevator with a high-powered fan. When he let me go, we were no longer on the streets. We were in a room. It was beautifully decorated with a four-poster bed and a large screen TV.

"How did we get here?" I panicked.

"Relax Vika, This will be your room. I suggest you get some rest. I will have some food brought to you. Rose and I will see you after you've gotten a chance to settle in and we may talk about what will come next."

All I could do is nod. He approached me and I braced myself not knowing what to expect. As he reached me, he pulled my head to his lips and kissed my hair. "You have no need to fear me Vika. I want this to work for all of us. Rose does as well. Sleep. We will continue this later."

"Thank you brother." He smiled and disappeared. Now I had to wait and see when would be a safe time for me to contact my friends and let them know what I had learned. Once again I prayed.

' _Lord of the Powers be with us, for in times of distress we we have no other help but You. Lord of the Powers, have mercy on us. Amen'_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Greetings!**_

 _ **I ope you can all for give the delay. The holidays made writing very difficult. I cam not announce that Black Roses will tap out at 20 chapters. After this posting there will only be 3 chapters left. I've very excited to write them and even more excited to know what you all think!**_

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Chapter 17

Rose

"Hello Viktoria," I said as I entered her room smiling.

"Rose! Oh, my… you look… different." She was trying not to insult me I could tell. All this was new to her. Especially the concept of a Strigoi within your presence not being a total _my number's up_ situation.

"It's ok, I know this is a lot to take in. But look at you! You look amazing! Check out the cut in your arms, nice job!" She must have been doing a lot of training since I had seen her last. Back when she was a sweet Dhampir girl sick with infatuation that she mistook for love.

"Thank you, I've been working particularly hard this semester." She said looking down proudly at her tone biceps

"Have you?" I asked noting something I didn't like but couldn't place just yet.

"Yes, I guess I have you to thank for it. After that night when you saved me from that jerk I realized a few things and decided I needed to make some changes in my life."

She was telling the truth but not the whole truth. One of the developments in my abilities was a keen sense if smell. Not just smell on a physical level but and emotional one. Liars for example gave off the smell of a rusty rotted pipe, a damp metallic odor that signified their inner disintegration. But Viktoria didn't give off that smell, hers was something more comparable to mold or mildew. It was a dull slightly sweet unpleasant stench, a rotting away at her core. It was the stench of someone hiding something. Yes, she was telling the truth but she was omitting some very important details and they were making her uncomfortable, particularly in front of me.

I took a seat on the edge on her bed. She sat next to me nervously. I continued my light interrogation, there was something going on and I needed to know what it was. "Change can be a very good thing, I should know. Dimitri's busy setting things up for later tonight but I thought it would be nice for us to catch up a little, just us girls you know?"

Viktoria smiled sweetly. She was still the sweetheart I remembered but she was also trying her best to appear tough. It wasn't working and she was hiding something, I was sure of it.

"Viktoria, why did you really come here?"

She froze but only for a moment. To anyone else it would have been nothing but to me she may as well have tattooed it on her forehead. "To be with my brother and with you."

I smelled rust, she was lying. "The life I see my mother and sisters living, I realized I don't want to be like them. I will not stay all my life in a small-town mothering children what will never be accepted by their father's."

That was the truth. It smelled like citrus, fresh and refreshing, cleansing to the soul. But there was still an underlying stench of mildew. Viktoria was telling the truth but still not all of it. As soon as she arrived the night before I had a feeling she hadn't truly come to be with Dimitri and I. Now I had my proof and it all added up to one conclusion one; Viktoria was acting as a spy.

"I totally understand Vika. But coming all the way here to spy on us for the sake of Lissa and her groupies was the worst way to escape that fate."

The scent of ice replaced the citrus/mildew combination. The scent of someone who had been caught. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said a little too quickly.

I knew Dimitri would be crushed if his sister whom he loved were to betray us so I made a choice for the betterment of our home and family. Tonight, I had to do a some reprograming.

"Yes you do. Don't be afraid Vika, I really do understand. Tell me the truth now, did you volunteer for this? And please don't lie, I'll be able to smell it if you do." I tried being motherly and put my hand on her shoulder. Encouraging Vika to come clean on her own without the use on compulsion.

She didn't know what to say for a moment then chose to tell the truth sensing she was done, accepting her fate. "Sort of, I approached your mother to help with what they were planning. It was Mazur's idea to send me in."

I couldn't help but smile at the irony. "Good old mom and dad screwing up another kid. Before we go any farther, I need to tell you that those two are quite possibly the worst parental examples that didn't come out of a VC Andrews book. But Vika, they didn't care about what would happen to you. They probably sent you here to get you out of the way."

"No!" She stood up and crossed to the other side of the room. "They sent me because They believed I could get intel on you both. It was my failure that you discovered me so quickly. Now if you must kill me just do it already."

"Viktoria, I don't want to kill you. Your brother and I want you with us not against us. We care about you. We love you. You know, at the demonstration your brother hoped that of everyone there you would be the one to get the message and come be with us. You just said you want more for yourself and he wants that for you too, so do I." At my word's she loosened up a little. I continued, "Abe and Janine are two pieces in the worlds most fucked up jigsaw puzzle. They don't care about anyone but themselves. Lissa and the other are just like them. All they want is to restore order to the world they knew before all of this where Dhampir protect and the Moroi stay protected. Don't you want more than to give up your life to some spoiled brat who doesn't give a shit about you? Who likely set you up to fail so they could get you out of their hair?"

"It's not like that..." She tried to defend.

I got up from where we were sitting and approached her getting right in her face. I wanted to make her feel uncomfortable by my closeness but to take comfort in the fact that a Strigoi was this close without harming her. "It is, it's exactly like that. Don't you want to enjoy life? See the world? Fall in love?"

"Stop, it won't work." She was starting to crack and tried to cover her ears. I grabbed her wrists and held them at her sides forcing her to hear every word.

"Don't you want to see your life amount to something more than a toy that could be swapped for a new one when it gets broken? Trust me hun, there are far worse things in life than becoming a single mother in a community of Dhampir baby-mama's. Like never making choices for yourself, never being allowed to sleep even when your body and mind are exhausted to the point of madness, to become an irrelevant, lifeless, soulless, replicable, slave they call _Guardians_." That did it.

Viktoria crumpled before me. In a pile of angst ridden teen she curled into a ball and sobbed on the floor. I dropped to my knees and took hold of her face in both of my hands forcing her to consider my eyes. "There is something you need to get through your head right now Vika. We are not the monsters you learned about in school. Those fabled creatures of the night are made up exaggerations used to scare Dhampir children into a life of servitude and Moroi children into a life of entitlement. We are freedom Vika, and they would do anything in the world to keep that from you. But things are going to change now."

"Why don't you just kill me and get it over with?" She asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"If we wanted you dead, you'd be dead. We want you with us. You could be a princess the sister of the King beloved sister in-law of the Queen. Aunt and Godmother to the prince to come." I let go of her face and left my last words hanging in the air for her to decipher.

Vika's eyes widened as she realized what I was talking about. "You are? … that's not possible!"

"Just like Strigoi walking around in daylight, right? No, I'm not pregnant… yet, but when your brother and I are done with our mission I will be. I want our son to know his aunt. You will be the only extended family he has. We are your family now Vika, you need to make a choice as to where your loyalties stand."

I stood up and walked to the door. "Feel free to explore the house and grounds. The door will never be locked. But if you get any bright ideas, I should warn you that the house is guarded during the day by some of the best Dhampir's in Europe and by some of the most blood thirsty Strigoi at night. All of them are loyal to your brother and I. So, if you try something we will find out about it and… well we won't be pleased. Oh, and please be in the grand ballroom at 3am. We have some announcements you should be present for." I opened the door and was about to close it when a better idea hit me. I left the door to Viktoria's room wide open.

During my stay in the manor, before my Awakening, Dimitri kept me locked in. Partly for my own safety as he wasn't in charge back then, but also because he was trying to get the point across to me that it would be just the two of us till the end. Two against the world. With Viktoria, we needed her to feel safe here. That this was her home now. There would be no way of enforcing that idea if we kept her locked in her room like a petulant child. Before I left I gave her a warm smile "See you in s few hours sis."

I found Dimitri in the ballroom with Stephan's team making the final preparations for the big announcement.

The moment he sensed my presence her shoved his iPad in Stephan's arms and all but ran into mine. He never dismissed me or disregarded my presence regardless of what he was doing at any given moment. Our lips met in a feverish kiss that told me he felt our separation as deeply as I did even though it couldn't have been more than 2 hours. We were becoming more and more in need of each other as time passed and our powers grew. The codependency was rather hot and nothing I complained over. Though I did wonder what couples found so difficult about keeping intimacy alive as time went on. Dimitri and I seemed to have it in spades!

"My Roza," He said into my lips. When we parted, he took my hand and we walked out of the ballroom and onto the terrace. "How did it go with Vika?" he asked.

"Weren't you there?" I asked motioning to my temple.

"Unfortunately with everything going on here I was not paying attention."

"Well, unfortunately I was right. She was sent to spy on us."

Dimitri began to curse in Russian, "Who sent her? Lissa?"

"Worse, my parents."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Oh I wish I was."

"Do those two have a fetish for screwing up young girls?"

"Looks that way, doesn't it?" Dimitri knew I had a suspicion that Viktoria didn't exactly come of her own free will or at least not for the right reasons. This was one time I hated being right. The look on my love's face was torture. He was furious that someone so carelessly sent his sister into the lion's den without a thought.

"Did they even think of what could have happened to her? You know Michael almost killed her! If I hadn't been there to stop him she…"

"I know love." I interrupted him and touched his face, calming him. "But you _were_ there and she's here now. She's going to need a little convincing but I know we will be able to get through to her."

"And if we cannot?"

"Then you know what will happen. We'll make it quick, painless, she won't feel a thing."

He nodded "I hope it does not come to that. Vika is still such a child but she has so much potential. I would hate to see it go to waste because she cannot see reason."

"So would I. You know I think of her as my little sister too."

Dimitri pressed his forehead to mine and exhaled. "She will come around." He said to himself more than to me. It was looking like my husband's paternal instincts were starting to come through with the arrival of his sister.

"Hey, how about you tell me how it's going in there?" I asked eyeing the ballroom.

He smiled slightly, knowing I was trying to distract him. "It's going well. We will be ready to receive the new recruits just fine. The entire compound has been converted to a training ground and the ballroom into every teenager's dream hangout. We will make sure that all who survive the next week will be the very best soldiers the world has to offer."

"Excellent. We're almost ready. Why don't we sent someone to give Vika a tour of the place? It would be better than her wondering off on her own and getting lost."

"That sounds good, I'll get Tanya."

"Actually, I had someone else in mind," I let Dimitri read my thoughts and he smiled wickedly.

You are an evil genius my Roza. I'm slightly conflicted about this being that we are talking about my little sister."

"Dimitri, she's 17 not 7. Let her have a little fun. Isn't that part of our whole message here?"

"Yes, it is. Are you sure it will work?"

"With everything we've learned about him? Absolutely."

Viktoria

After Rose left the room I felt like I needed to hug the walls or I'd fall off the world. The things she had said could not be true. They just couldn't! Strigoi could not reproduce! And even if they could, what did she mean by me being the only extended family he would have? What about Mama and my sisters and nieces and nephew? What about Yeva? Would just not include them in the child's life? Or… No! They couldn't think to kill them, could they? Dimitri wouldn't do that. How could he? His own mother and family?

What about all she said about Guardian's being slaves? We weren't slaves! We have the most important and sacred job in the world. We protect an ancient magical race. We do important work. How could she say we were slaves? I needed to get out of this place fast.

I brought myself to my feet and grabbed a tissue from a box on the bed table. Wiping my eyes and nose I began to gather my bag and the cellphone Mazur gave me when I felt warm. My skin felt so pleasantly warm and tingly. I hadn't noticed someone else was in my room and when I turned to get my bag I walked straight into their line of sight. He was a Strigoi and he was beautiful. Tall with spiked platinum blond hair, broad shoulders and the face of a Greek God.

"Privet Viktoria" He greeted me in Russian. "Vy uvereny, chto khotite vyyti?" _Am I sure I wanted to leave?_ He asked. Suddenly I wasn't so sure. He spoke again, "Ya dumayu, chto vy khotite, chtoby ostat'sya i dat' etomu mestu bol'she vnimaniya." _I think you want to stay and give this place more consideration._ He was right. I did want to stay and I did want to give this place more consideration. I also wanted to talk to him more. I wanted him to kiss me. But he did not speak of this topic to me. These things I felt inside.

The warmth I felt earlier dissipated and I was left standing in the room still looking at the beautiful man but my desire to leave was completely gone. For an awkward moment we just stared at each other then he spoke first.

"The Queen sent me here to give you a tour." He spoke in English now, strange since a moment ago I thought he was speaking to me in Russian.

"Oh, Thank you. I would like that."

"My name is Stephan. It's very cold outside so you should bring a coat."

I knew well how cold it was being that I had made the journey to the city on foot. I took my black parka and Stephan offered his arm as we left the room.

Stephan

Viktoria Belikova was the most beautiful creature I had seen since before I lost my innocence 15 years ago. That was when at the age of 10 I had been taken from my mother and forced into the sex slave trade. The atrocities I faced over those years would be enough to destroy the human spirit. But then one day, my salvation arrived. The God I prayed to for help all those years never answered a single word. My savior was a Strigoi with long brown hair and blood red eyes.

My King Dimitri Belikov took me from bondage and gave me a purpose. I had become his most trusted soldier and now I had fallen in love with his sister. She was everything beautiful I had dreamed about in captivity. Everything I longed for in a woman. How I knew this after only seeing her for a moment I did not know but I saw her tears and knew she would try to escape. I could not let that happen. I knew the wrath of my King was exacting but how could I let her leave? I'd only just found her. So, I made a judgment call and compelled her. Not a lot, only enough to make her want to stay and have a more open mind towards our revolution. I wanted to compel her to want me as well but chose not to. The hunter instinct in me wanted to pursue her. I only hoped when the time came that we let our love be known that my King would approve of me as a mate for his sister. If he did not, then we would have to figure something out. But best plan of action was to live in the now and relish in the feel of her hand on my arm as we exited her room.

She would fall in love with me as well. I knew it. She had to.

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So as you can see Rose and Dimitri have a rally to put on! and the biggest announcement yet will be the main topic. What will it be? Keep a look out for the next chapter and see!

To explain the budding romance between Stephan & Viktoria. You can tell the guy's got issues and will be reveled in the next chapter. One of which is stalker syndrome. As we already know Vika is no stranger to infatuation so it's no surprise she would notice a pretty face. What 17 year old fir wouldn't? But will she fall as deeply for Stephan as he so clearly has for her?

Also to come will be some more on what Lissa is doing to stop the lovers.

Keep reading and PLEASE review!

~SL


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 is here! Only 2 more to go!I put a lot of thought into everything here especially the big reveal. Actually I have been dreaming of this chapter since I first started writing the story a year ago. I hope you enjoy it!**

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Dimitri

The message on the iPad read the roll call as 193 Dhampir and 107 Moroi in attendance. Impressive numbers even if they were mostly school teenagers. I had to laugh at the reappearance of the number 300 once again and thought it must be our lucky number. All 300 looked up at me from the grand staircase where Rosa and I stood hand in hand.

I addressed them "At St Basils I said all who came would be welcome into the kingdom. And so, I welcome you not only into our sovereignty but to your new home." They all cheered. I waived my hand to quiet them and continued. "Your room assignments are as follows: where ever the fuck you want." More cheering. I smiled, "The grand ballroom at the end of the corridor has been equip with a large selection of videogames, comic books, sports gear, and full food and bar stations. All the bedrooms have flat screen TV's with cable. The theater on the second floor will be running a horror movie marathon starting in 20 minutes with Freddy vs. Jason. The indoor swimming pool on the ground floor has been heated and is open for your use."

The look of total joy and elation on all their faces was enough to bring a tear to my eye, if I actually cared that much. It was time for the business portion of my speech.

"Now that the fun stuff is out of the way, down to the serious. The quarters at the top floor are completely off limits. If any of you gets the daring idea to go up there I promise you will never make it back down. I say sleep anywhere you like but once a room is chosen by someone don't be an asshole and try to move yourself in. All intercourse must be consenting. Any unconsensual activities will result in the violator being burned alive while everyone roasts marshmallows off the burning corpse.

You have 3 days to enjoy yourselves as much as you like however, at the end of those three days we will begin tryouts. You chose us but now we get to choose you. Failure means death but it will be quick and painless. Far better than if you change your mind and try to run back to St Basils. And much less gruesome if you were never to have joined our ranks and stayed on the opposing side. Three days from now you will impress us with your strengths and abilities. Some of you will stay Dhampir and Moroi. The best of you will be awakened to serve higher positions. But only time will tell. Until then, have fun." Buckcherry's 'Crazy Bitch' blared through the speakers at the end of my announcement. Not one of the teens in attendance looked concerned about the coming tryouts.

Now that the children were occupied I needed to have a word with the grownups. Rose and I told our guards to meet us in the library for a briefing once we were done with the welcome wagon. Stephan, who had been glued to Viktoria's side, hesitantly escorted her to the theater where he promised to join her when he was dismissed. I appreciated how careful he was with my sister but was still unsure if things would work out well between them. Stephan was a damaged and disturbed creature. It made him a most loyal soldier but not exactly one's prime choice for a sister's boyfriend. Rose reassured me by reminding me that if things went bad we could compel them or just kill him. Rose also reminded me girls Vika's age tend towards the dark ones, after all Rose was Vika's age when she fell for me.

Once in the library with the doors shut tight against the sounds of the partiers below, Rose and I took our seats. She sat on my lap of course. I could not stand for her to be out of my arms, it literally burned not to have her near. I needed to feel her skin close to mine at all times and she needed it as well. Our best fighters were made up of 15 Dhampir and 20 Strigoi, all of whom oversaw their own teams. They were the most elite of out guard. For months, my Roza and I had hinted at a plan we had yet to reveal and spoken of the battle to come. Now it was time to let them know exactly what we had in mind.

"I know you are all anxious to enjoy the party with the new recruits and begin making your selection for your respective teams so I will make this quick. But remember none of what we tell you now leaves this room until expressly permitted. Those of you who grew up in vampyric society, answer me this. What is the most iconic landmark they hold dear?" I asked.

"The royal court," Someone answered.

"Close, keep going." I was enjoying this.

"The academies," said another.

"The academies are important but not what I'm referring to." A few other voices gave answers that were all incorrect.

It was Roza who ended the debate, "Bran…" She said confidently.

The room went silent for a long moment then a Strigoi named Maxim spoke, "Castle Bran my Queen?"

"Yes, Castle Bran. The Vampire equivalent of the Statue of Liberty. The fortress where in the early 1440's the last Strigoi war was fought. The castle where the Moroi royal family of the day sought refuge as the Strigoi were defeated by an army of Dhampir warriors. The last residence ever occupied in the old country by a Royal Court and the official European home of the former Queen Tatiana. Their fucking White House." The smile on my Roza's face as she spoke was contagious. Several of our people smiled as well.

Stephan spoke up, "So we are going to destroy it? Zdorovo!" he cheered as did several others.

"No," I interrupted their mirth. I took Rose's left hand in mine and kissed her wedding ring. The garnet held in the mouths of two dragons. I had told her back then that the dragon would be a significant part of our future and now I would divulge that significance. "We are going to conquer it. And when we do my Queen and I will take up the sigil of Vlad Tepes and continue his noble work of liberation and revolution against those who sought to enslave his people. Just as we seek to liberate ours. From then on we will be known as the Dragon King and Queen and you all as the new Order of the Dragon."

Lissa

From the moment our plane took off Abe and I were on the phone with the Royal Court arraigning my coronation. It would be a small affair as coronations go with the council members and a select few guests I requested. Christian would escort me to the throne Prince Ivashkov, being Tatiana's closest relative, would represent the late Queen by handing me the scepter and orb and would also place the crown on my head. My new royal adviser was like a very demanding on the phone to whomever he was speaking to. I couldn't understand a word of it as he was speaking the Turkish. Whatever the situation it must have gone in his favor since he calmed and said what sounded like a _thank you_ before hanging up.

"Do I even want to know what that was about?" I asked.

"Yes you do, my people have apprehended Robert and are bringing him to the Royal Court."

"I thought he wouldn't come unless his brother was released from prison?" Christian asked skeptically.

"That's true but I convinced him. No point in releasing Viktor if the Robert fellow has nothing of value to offer us is there?" Abe countered "Boy, we are all in this together so I suggest you back off just a little. Give your hormones a chance to cool down before your head explodes."

I saw Christian was about to go off on Abe yet again so I did what any girlfriend would do in a predicament like this, I made up a reason to pull him out. "Christian, could you help me please?"

He came to me with frustration written all over his face. "I know you are angry but I believe Abe is just as angry as you are." I said trying to sooth him.

"Really? Did he just watch his only living relative be slaughtered right in front of him?"

"No he watched his only child who'd been turned into a monster slaughter your only living relative right in front of him. If we are going to be successful in this endeavor, we cannot be at each other's throats the whole time."

"Sorry love, but I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."

"And I'm sure there are over a dozen reasons to support that feeling but there is one that totally outweighs them all."

"What's that?" He asked.

"He is Rose's father and he wants to do the right thing. That means doing everything he can to help us. So please, for me, lay off."

Christian wared with himself for a moment before conceding. "Fine, but if he betrays you I get to burn him."

"Deal," I said. He kissed me then and took his seat.

Stephan

I joined Viktoria in the theater just as a girl asked Freddy Kruger about the butter knives on his hand. When I sat, she grabbed my arm. "This movie is amazing!" she whispered excitedly.

"It's one of my favorites." I whispered back. She leaned her head on my shoulder and I smelled her strawberry shampoo. To myself I thought I would love to lose days in that smell and kissed the top of her head. Then something overtook me. A desire I had never felt before. Once I started kissing her head I couldn't stop. My kisses traced the part in her hair down to her hairline and forehead. My hands were on her face and I brought her face to mine. I stopped kissing her head and looked into her eyes. "Viktoria?" I asked

"Yes?" she asked me back.

"I want… I need… to kiss you."

Even in the darkness of the theater I could see the blush of her cheeks. "I would like that." She said.

"There's one thing though. I've never kissed a girl before."

"You're a virgin? That's ok so am I."

"No, no. I'm not a virgin I have just never kissed a girl."

"How is that possible?" she asked.

What to tell her? Should I tell her the truth that I was a sex slave for more than half my life? That the only pleasure I know is through pain? She would run from me and I would stop her from running. I needed her. I needed how she made me feel. Like a person, like a man.

"I had a dark life Viktoria, before your brother saved me." Her eyes glistened in the dark. There was no way she could know what I had been through but she understood enough of what I'd said to put her own conclusions together and the result was pain. "Would you show me?"

She nodded slowly and instructed me what to do. "Close your eyes… tilt your head… when you feel my lips just move with them." I did as I was told. Viktoria's lips were warm and sweet. I moved my lips with hers and became lost in the sensation. Instinctually I brought my hand to her face and held it the way I remembered holding the kittens that had been born a month before I was taken away. Her skin was so soft. When her mouth opened, I opened mine as well and her tong passed the barrier of my lips. I responded by doing the same. It was the most erotic yet innocent thing I had ever experienced. She tried to pull away from me after a while but I wouldn't let her. I held her face to mine, our tongs and lips playing with one another in an erotic game.

"Stephan?" She said into my mouth. I moaned my reply.

"Air," she said. Realizing she couldn't breathe I parted from her, the two of us breathing heavily. "Are you sure you've never don't this before?" She asked.

"I am very sure." Our lips had been apart for moments only but I wanted more. I wanted to lay in bed and kiss her for hours. Maybe she would let me touch her body a little and undress her some. Not fully just a little. I would be gentle and kind. I'd touch her the way I wished I had been touched. I'd show her all the tenderness I was never shown. Then one day maybe she would let me be with her fully the way a man and woman were supposed to be together.

"Because you're very good at it."

"I had an excellent teacher." That made her smile "Can we do it again?" I asked. She nodded and we kissed some more. This time I had one hand on her face and my other hand on her hip. Her black t-shirt rode up some and my thumb made contact with the skin of her stomach. I felt Viktoria suck in a breath at my touch so I began stroking my thumb back and forth near her navel. Viktoria's hands gripped the collar of my black leather jacket. It was I who parted the kiss this time.

"Viktoria?"

"Yes?"

"I'm falling in love with you."

She looked serious for a moment. "You just met me."

"I know, but I can feel things about you. I have never felt like this before. It's alright if you do not feel the same for me yet. I know you will. I can feel it, in here…" I brought her hand to my heart so she could feel it pounding. I put my hand on her heart as well and was pleased to know her heart was thumping heavily as well. "You see? I knew you felt something for me."

"This is crazy." She said.

"I know, but its real. I love you." I did not wait for a response before I kissed her again. When the movie was over we exited the theater, holding hands. I asked if she wanted to have some more fun in the ballroom but she was tired and wanted to return to her room. At her door, I kissed her lips softly and was content but then we caught each other's eyes and the kiss deepened. Her arms wrapped themselves around my neck as I hugged her waist tightly while pressing her against the door.

Someone cleared their throat a few feet away from us. It was the King.

"My lord!" I said breathlessly "Please forgive me, I was just seeing that Viktoria returned to her room safely."

"Clearly,"

"I meant no disrespect my King."

"It looked like she wasn't saying no, so there is no disrespect to be concerned over. Vika is old enough to make her own decisions. If you are who she wants, then who am I to stop her? I will say however as her brother that if you hurt her I will kill you, and that's not a euphemism."

"Yes my King."

"Enjoy your sleep sister."

"I will, thank you Dimka."

The King strolled away. When her was out of sight Viktoria and I went into hysterics. "I can't believe that just happened." She said sitting on the floor laughing.

"I really thought he was going to kill me." I said back.

When we calmed down I helped her up from the floor and though it pained me, I prepared to leave her. "Sweet dreams my love." I said kissing her forehead, I didn't trust myself to kiss her lips again right now. I turned and began to walk away

"Wait," she said pulling me back. "My brother told me to enjoy my sleep, didn't he?"

"Yes,"

"I think I would enjoy it more if you would join me."

She wanted me to be with her while she slept. "Strigoi don't sleep," I told her regretfully.

"Well you don't have to stay the whole time. Just until I fall asleep maybe? I'm much more open to this place than I was before but being with this many Strigoi still frightens me. If you were with me, maybe I'd be more comfortable. Unless this is stupid to you which I understand…"

"Vika, may I call you Vika?" she nodded. "I would be honored to lay next to you while you sleep. If you will have me."

"I would," She took my hand and brought me into her room where I closed and locked the door behind us.

* * *

 **Ok, yay! My big secret it out of the bag! They are going to invade Castle Bran! For those of you who don't know the history of the castle I suggest looking it up. It's known as Dracula's Castle even though the real Dracula only stayed there a short time. His actual castle is in ruins now. But still it's a historic sight that I feel would have great relevance in this world.**

 **Now being that most of my readers are girls who either are or have been teenagers, answer honestly. A seriously hot tortured guy with darkness inside him says he is in love with you, you're totally gonna fall for it! eventually you will realize that he's crazy and try to run but lets face it, we're all weak for that shit at some point in our lives. So don't get too annoyed with Viktoria just yet. She's still got a big role to play coming up.**

 **I really hope you enjoyed the chapter and ask that you please, please, please review!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~SL**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello All!**

 **Here's a nice long one and the second to last chapter! Yep, only 1 chapter left and it's already half way done. Before you read it I have a challenge for you all. Right now this story has 88 Reviews that are all amazing. But as my dearest Llaria6 pointed out to me, it's a little sad that this story doesn't have more reviews. Being that I have the ability to see how much traffic this story gets, I'm inclined to agree. So here's the deal, I'm going to be holding back the last chapter till I can get 100 Reviews. Thats 12 Reviews people! And please nothing cheap like "Sweet story yo" or anything like that. Tell me what you really think even if you think it sucks. I'll take it!**

* * *

Lissa

The Coronation

In the vestibule of the Orthodox Church in Court I awaited the opening of the doors. Dressed in the traditional color of violet, the gown I wore looked like something out of the 1500's. It was long sleeved, tight waist and a full skirt and gold embroidery throughout. While it looked amazing, I had to admit, I'd never worn a more uncomfortable dress in my life. The corset underneath made breathing more than impossible. The neckline cut straight across my bust but all traces of cleavage, as if I had a lot of cleavage to begin with, was covered by a cream and gold chemise that went all the way to my throat and itched to high hell. The pins holding up my chignon had begun to cut into my scalp and all my discomfort was made worse by one immovable misfortune; I wanted my best friend here with me. Something about not having Rose there to hold my hand and tell me how proud she was of me made all this tradition feel superfluous. It made me realize how much I took her for granted before all of this.

My eyes began to water when I felt someone grabbed my waist, it was Christian. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with his hair combed back. He looked amazing.

"I don't think I can do this Christian."

"Of course you can, it's just a little ceremony and then you can take off that ridiculous dress and we can celebrate in private." He smiled devilishly as he took my hand and kissed it.

"No, I mean all of this. I need Rose here. She always knew what to say and do. How can I be Queen without her? How can I be me without her?"

Christian swallowed and took both my hands forcing me to consider his eyes. "Lis, listen to me. You have an entire group of people cheering for you and all of them are in that church, save for me right now, and they are all waiting for you to take your rightful place on that throne. I know we aren't Rose but we love you just as much as she did. More since none of us abandoned you. And if she were her old self she'd give you a swift kick in the arse and tell you to get in there and show those stiffs what the Dragomir Princess can do as the Dragomir Queen."

I had to laugh a little as his assessment of what Rose would have done came across as spot on. I knew it must have been incredible difficult for him to say all of this being that Rise had killed his aunt Tasha right in front of him only 5 days ago. I suddenly felt heartless bringing up the topic of Rose to him.

"Thanks love, you're right, of course you are. I'm sorry for…" He cut me off.

"Enough of that. You're a queen now. You apologize to no one from now on, least of all me."

"You're my boyfriend, if I wrong you I will always apologize. Crown or no crown, we come first."

"Boyfriend, I think a Queen needs something a little more substantial than that. But that's for later."

"Christian, what are you…"

"No more stalling your highness. They're ready for you. Now get your arse in there and show those stiffs what the Dragomir Princess can do…" he lowered his voice to a whisper "…as the Dragomir Queen." He winked at me and kissed me. Then he ran back into the church through the side door.

I could almost hear Rose's voice in my head voicing some sarcastic apothegm like _'It's pumpkin time,'_ or _'Go make this monarchy your bitch.'_ While it was no substitute to the real thing, knowing part of her still lived on in my memory gave me the strength to put one foot in front of the other. The doors opened and I began my procession.

Viktoria

For three days Stephan and I spent every moment together. He taught me how to play Halo and I taught him how to dance. He introduced me to Comic Books where I learned I had a love of Joker and Harley Quinn while I got him hooked on American Horror Story. He found my limited knowledge of popular culture intriguing. I explained to him that at school we were very sheltered and that our internet was screened through a very protective server but popular television shows were rather easy to find, hence the things I knew well and didn't know at all. When I slept, he watched over me and held me like a precious doll.

I sensed there was a darkness inside of him and tried several times to get him to open to me but he would constantly shut me down by hinting at the depth of his secret pain then let me know it was something to which he did not wish me exposed. At that point what could I do? I liked him a lot, cared for him deeply and he apparently loved me. Often he said the words to me but I always shied away. He did not push me to say them back expressing it was enough that I allowed him to say the words in the first place. It was as though he felt himself unworthy yet did all he could to be worthy. It made me feel special and beautiful like he saw something in me that I did not know existed. Stephan was so unlike what I was told all my life Strigoi were. He was no fiend, he was beautiful. In many ways, he reminded me of Quasimodo from the 'Hunchback of Notre Dame'. The world thought of him as a monster when in truth he was anything but. I only wished I knew a way to breakdown his wall and learn what truly haunted him.

The last night of festivities we lay in my bed watching AHS Coven. Madam Lalaurie was walking through her attic where she kept her tortured slaves when I noticed Stephan began breathing heavily. His grip on my hand tightened and I could feel him start to tremble. "Stephan, are you alright?" I asked but he said nothing. I looked at his face and saw his eyes were wide open and glued to the screen. "Stephan?" I said his name again but still he gave no response. I sat up and turned to him. His mouth began to twitch and his trembling worsened. The expression on his face was one I never thought I'd ever see on a Strigoi. He was afraid. More than that, Stephan was traumatized and some part of me realized he was no longer in the room with me.

Where ever Stephan was in his mind, it was not a pleasant place. I turned off the TV and grabbed his face, "Stephan!" His red eyes would not meet mine. I thought about slapping him but he looked so aggrieved I did not have the heart to pain him further so I did the next thing that came to my mind. Still holding his face, I kissed him. I kissed him repeatedly until he began to come back to me. When he finally came around he looked me in the eyes with desperation. Then he threw me down on my back and held me tightly around my waist, his head resting on my breasts.

"Vika, my sweet Vika. You are real."

"Of course I'm real, what happened to you?"

"My past, it haunts me. I will never be free of it."

I hugged his head and ran my fingers through his hair. "You're alright, I'm here." I said trying to sooth him.

"I can't live without you Vika. Before I knew you, I was able to suppress the darkness. I could feed it with carnage and the suffering of my prey. But now that I have you, my darkness will only be overpowered by your light." He burrowed deeper into my chest as if he were trying to crawl inside my skin. He kissed my breasts lovingly through my shirt. It was not in a sexual way however. It was more like the way a drowning man kissed dry land once he was rescued. I wore no bra as I was dressed in my night clothes and realized his actions were affecting me in a rather sensual fashion.

Before I completely lost my head, I finally understood what distressed him. The scene on the show of people being mutilated triggered something inside him. "You were tortured, weren't you?" I asked. Stephan said nothing. "Please tell me? I promise you it won't scare me away."

"It will," he said, sounding more like a child than a Strigoi.

I took a deep breath knowing the words were on the tip of my tong and if there was ever a more appropriate time to say them it was now. "I will not. When you love someone, you love all of them, even their darkest parts." He stilled.

"You love me?" he sat up and measured my eyes. His red eyes should have filled me with fear but they didn't, they filled me with warmth.

"I've never been in love before. I thought I was once but it was just a crush. What I feel with you is so much deeper than that. I don't know what else to call it but… love."

'You love me," it wasn't a question this time. My eyes burned with tears and the revelation.

"Yes Stephan, I love you."

"Vika," he went to kiss me but I stopped him.

"You need to tell me the truth now. What is it that causes you such agony?"

He looked away and returned to his previous position with his head on my breasts. Then he began telling me his story.

"I was born in Ukraine. My mother was the kindest woman in the world. My father on the other hand was a devil. He drank and smoked and gamboled. He would beat my mother and I every chance he got. She often threw herself in front of me when he would come at me taking the beating herself. It was pointless because he would beat me anyway as soon as she has endured too much to stop him. When I was 10 years old my father ran up a gamboling debt so high he tried to sell my mother to pay it. The man he owed the debt to came to our home, took one look at my mother's battered body and walked out. Then he saw me walking up to the door of our house with eggs from the chickens we kept in the back yard and told my father he wanted me. My father agreed. I cried and reached for my mother as he took me away she begged for him to take her instead but he did not listen. As I was taken I heard my father's gun and her screaming came to an abrupt holt. In my young mind, I knew he had killed her.

"The man who took me was named was Jori. He was a Strigoi and one of the bosses your brother killed as he came into power. Jori sold me to Galina the woman who used to run this estate. She was a Boss as well. The one who handled prostitution. I was an attractive child so she got a good price for me. The man who purchased me from her was a monster of unbelievable proportions. He raped me, burned me with cigarettes, pimped me out to his friends and kept me locked in a wooden cage when he felt like it for days at a time. There was no bathroom so I had no choice but to urinate and defecate on myself. Some days he let me play videogames and read comic books and watch movies. I hated those days the most because I knew something particularly horrible was coming. So many nights I wanted to die. I begged God to let me die but he never listened.

"When I got too old for his taste he purchased another child from Galina. Another blond angel who wanted his mother. The boy's name was Nikola. We were locked in the same cage his first night. He cried and shook with fear. He was only 6. I knew the horrors that awaited him in that place so I held him like he was my son and promised he would see his mother again I promised I would help him escape and we would find our mothers and go somewhere safe. I sang a song I remembered my mother singing to me when I had nightmares. When he fell asleep in my arms I snapped his neck the way mother taught me to do with the chickens. I knew death would be his only escape but still I held him and cried begging him to take me with him into the arms of haven.

My owner gave me the worst beating of all when he discovered what I had done to his new toy. He took Nikola's body from me and told me I would be next. I thanked god that night for soon I would be departed as well and free of this hell. After 4 days of nothing I realized my owner meant to starve me to death. On the 6th day I heard commotion from the house above and the door to the cellar rip open. That was when your brother saved me. He awakened me and Showed me a world where I no longer needed to be afraid. One where I was the one to be feared. The power was intoxicating and I vowed my life to my King. Anything he would bid me do would be done. Though even rescued, part of me I longed for death. As you can see I am still haunted by those 15 years in hell. But when I met you something changed. You brought so life something in me that I though died all those years ago. You made me feel the innocence I lost. There was something about you that made me want to live. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you."

I don't know how long into his story I had stopped breathing but it by the time he finished I had completely forgotten how to. "Vika? Please say something?"

What could I say? No combination of words felt right. All I could do was hold him tighter and cry. Cry for the little boy who just wanted his mother, for the child who saw more evil in the world than most people knew was possible. Cry for the man in my arms who saw me as his reason to keep going even though we had only known each other a few days.

"I disgust you now, don't I?" he said, his tone becoming sinister. "You cannot leave me Vika, I won't let you! You're mine!" He stood up and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me violently. His fingers dug into my skin.

"No! Stephan, please? You don't disgust me. You're hurting me!" He let go looking in my eyes with panic. "You don't disgust me. How can someone I love disgust me?" I asked. I reached up and touched his face. He relaxed under my touch and kissed my palm, then my wrist then my lips. This kiss was anxious like he was reassuring himself of my feelings for him. I pulled him down to the bed with me and rolled him onto his back. I positioned myself above him with my legs on either side of his hips. We broke the kiss and I sat up. "You're a virgin too Stephan. You've never made love to a girl and I've never made love to a boy." I grabbed the hem of my white t-shirt and lifted it over my head exposing my naked breasts. Taking his hand, I placed it on my chest letting him feel me. I felt him get hard between my legs.

"Vika," he whispered.

"Make love to me Stephan,"

He sat up taking his shirt off as well. While we had stayed together the last two nights, all we had done was kiss. Now with his shirt off I could see he was covered with scars. I wanted to kiss them all and take his pain away. Since I knew I couldn't I did the next best thing and chose to show him how sex should be. I had no real experience but I knew it was supposed to be loving and beautiful.

The first thing he did was press our shirtless bodies together. He was still sitting beneath me sitting up with his arms around my back. The coldness of his skin was wonderful. We were both completely uneducated in the art of making love but that was ok because we would figure it out together.

As we started kissing and feeling each other, more clothing disappeared and soon we were both naked with him laying on top of me. Then he was inside me. It hurt a lot but also felt right. In a million years, I never would have thought my first time would be with a Strigoi, let alone one I was in love with. As we both reached a climax, some part of my brain remembered there was something I needed to do. Something I'd long forgotten.

"Viktoria? Will you be mine?" Stephan asked as he rocked his hips into me.

"Yes," that part of my mind nagged at me. What was I supposed to be doing?

"Will you be mine forever?"

The sensation was so good I couldn't focus on his question. "Tell me, Vika, tell me you will be mine forever."

"For… ever, forever!" I shouted as Stephan's sex slid in and out of me. His pelvis crashed into mine over and over, each thrust decreased the pain a little at a time. Simultaneously the pleasure began to outweigh the discomfort.

"Say it again Vika, say you want to be mine forever."

"I want to be yours forever. I love you Stephan."

"I love you too Vika. Forever…" He kissed me hard, not breaking his rhythm. The kiss sent me into a thrall. I couldn't see the world around me, there was only he and I. My eyes refocused on Stephan's fangs. Before I could say anything to stop him, his fangs were in my throat. His sex was still inside me; he was still making love to me as he drank from my vain. As the world melted away my last coherent though was of the cellphone Abe Mazur gave me. I never got a chance to call him and tell him what I learned, and at that moment, I no longer cared.

Rose

Night one of training commenced. The Dhampir's were tested for their speed, strength and battle skills while the Moroi were examined for their magic abilities. Both were assessed for their mental aptitude. The hedge maze was excellent for testing their problem-solving skills as well as their physical swiftness. We'd only lost 1 trainee so far on the weapons zone. He was trying to show off to Dimitri that he knew how to disarm a grenade turning it into a dummy and things didn't work out too well. Dimitri walked away without a scratch of course but the trainee… not so much.

I was monitoring the hedge maze. Things were going well so far; everyone was doing their best to make it onto a team headed by one of our Order Members. Either that or they were all in a very big rush not to get killed. They knew what was at stake here should they fall into last place. I tapped my ear bud making sure all leaders were in their assigned zones. All checked in except Stephan. Strange since he was our most reliable Captain. Then another thought occurred to me, I hadn't seen Viktoria either. I tapped my ear bud again demanding if anyone had a 20 on Viktoria. They all responded with " _Negative_ "

"Shit," I said to myself.

Dimitri was busy organizing some security measures for our journey to Romania. Not wanting to distract Dimitri from his work I locked him out of my head and dematerialized to Viktoria's room.

Through the door I heard Stephan's voice talking to who I presumed was Viktoria. His muffled voice was simple for me to pick up and understand perfectly.

"My sweet Vika, my beautiful sweet Vika. You gave your body to me and made me whole. Now I gave you my gift and we will be one always. My sweet soft Vika…" His words were cut off my kissing sounds.

I couldn't help but gag a little at the lovers sentiment. Dimitri and I were extreamlly affectionate with each other but something about that affection being displayed to the girl I considered my little sister was nauseating. Part of me wanted to let them have their fun but they were supposed to report for training tonight and I couldn't let them slip. The door was locked but that was no problem for me. One twist of my wrist and the lock undid itself. The door opened and scene before me made my eyes jump out of my head.

Viktoria was laying naked on her bed completely unconscious with Stephan straddling her suckling her breasts, his hand between her legs. He was only dressed in black jeans that were open and it looked like they were about to come off as well. He turned when he heard me enter and jumped off Viktoria's body.

"My Queen! I was…"

In a dash, I had him pressed against the wall and off the ground by his throat. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" I growled. I felt my fangs extend; my eyes glowed redder than ever and I deeply desired the sweet sensation of ripping Stephan's head off his shoulders and using his blood as finger paint.

"My Queen…"

"I pulled him away from the wall only to slam him against it again then throw him on the floor. He tried to stand but I jumped up and pounced on his back sending him flat on his stomach. Then returning to a standing position, I stepped on the side on his face with my steel toe boot.

"Ok, Steph, you have 30 seconds to explain what happened here. 10 if I smell you lying to me."

With his face smooshed between the carpet and my boot he spoke as best he could. "She said it… She wanted to be with me forever… I awakened her,"

I wasn't sure how to react to this or what to react to first. Stephan's borderline act of necrophilia, Viktoria looking like a beautiful naked corpse or "You awakened the King's sister without his consent?" I removed my boot and he turned over to face me still on the ground.

"She wanted to be awakened my Queen, she said so herself. We are in love and we want to be together. I was going to present her to you and the King when she awoke."

"Just shut up for a minute and let me think." I looked at Viktoria's naked unconscious form and sat next to her. I pulled the sheet up to cover her body then felt her brow. I pulled back her upper lip and saw her fangs had begun to extend. She was amid the change, thank god blondie did it right at least.

As I looked around the room I smelled the scent of sex and arousal. It was very strong, comparably as strong as with Dimitri and I. I could tell the sex was consensual noting there was no scent of fear of sorrow anywhere. There was some pain but that could be expected given that it was her first time. The coupling that went down in this room was pleasurable, very pleasurable. Then recognition came to me that made me really want to punch Stephan in the face. "Stephan? By any chance, were the two of you going at it when she said she wanted to be awakened?"

He looked around the room like a child who'd been caught doing something naughty. "That's a yes. And allow me to go a step further here. She never actually said the words _'awaken me'_ did she?"

"She said she wanted to be with me forever."

"Did she say the words _'awaken me'_?" I shouted.

"No my Queen, she did not use those exact words.

"Fuck my life," I had to slap my forehead. "Stephan, I realize in your limited experience with great sex you didn't think of this but when a woman is in the midst of intense passion you can ask her to cut off her own arm and she will probably agree to do it."

"You're wrong my Queen. Please forgive me but Vika and I are meant to be together. She will be glad I awakened her I know it. And I believe the King will be glad as well"

"For your sake I hope so. I need to get my husband here now."

"Wait please my Queen. May we not wait till she awakens?"

"I keep no secrets form the King and this is his sister. She the only family he has now and he needs to know about this."

"Yes my Queen, only maybe it would be wise to dress her first?"

The fucker was right; Dimitri would have a cow if he walked in here and saw his baby sister totally nude save for a thin white sheet. Mind you he'd see it the moment I unlocked my mind but maybe it would be best to put some clothing on her for when he arrived.

"Fair point. I'll do it."

"Please my Queen, allow me. Every opportunity I have to touch Vika's body is a gift."

I rolled my eyes "Dude, think you've done enough touching for one day. How about you get yourself dressed? I can see just how natural of a blond you are." He looked down and saw his jeans were just barely hanging off his hips. Suddenly embarrassed he turned away and began to zip himself up.

"Ya, good call." I told him and began dressing Vika. Two minutes later I had dressed Viktoria in a red cotton t-shirt and black pajama bottoms. Upon unlocking my mind, I felt Dimitri's rage at the information I'd sent then sensed the warmth of his arrival. It took less than a second for him to be at my side, standing over me as I held Vika's hand.

"How is she?" he asked.

"Still out but she feels strong. I can sense the power in her." I said to my husband.

Once he was satisfied Viktoria was out of danger Dimitri turned his attention to Stephan who was standing across the room with his hands behind his back. He looked like the perfect soldier, a total turnaround from the lovesick punk I had tossed around a little while ago.

Dimitri crossed the room in 3 steps and grabbed Stephan by the lapels of his leather jacket. "You realize I want to kill you, right?"

"Yes my King."

"I don't care about the copulations as I know it was what she wanted but I have a big problem with you molesting her while she was under progression as well as awakening her without my sanction. You may be one of my best but I have no problem turning you into my new favorite play thing if you ever cross me again."

"I understand my King." Stephan did not make eye contact, only looked at the floor awaiting Dimitri's final judgment.

"Alright, here is how this will go. You are too stay away from Viktoria until after her awakening is complete. When she arises, I will ask her in detail of her feelings for you. If she tells me she no longer desires you, your years in captivity will seem like nothing compared to what I will do to you."

"And if she does desire me, my King?"

"If she does you will be her husband. My sister is not a whore and I will not have her looked at as one. You took her virtue so she is your responsibility if she wants you to be. To use a human phrase; you broke it, you bought it."

Stephan's face perked up. "I will take excellent care of her my King."

"I have no doubt, since you know what you risk if you don't. Now leave, I wish to speak with my wife and you are required elsewhere are you not?"

"Yes my King, I will not fail you again." Stephan bowed his head to Dimitri then to me before leaving the room.

"Roza?" Dimitri drew out my name like a warning.

"If you are about to punish me for setting the two of them up in the first place let me remind you he did save us a lot of time trying to convince her to choose an awakening."

He strode over to me looking completely menacing. I couldn't get a fix on his emotions and I started to get nervous. His hands grabbed my shoulders and roughly pulled me to his lips. His kiss was hard and angry. "I'm furious with you for setting them up my love. But I'm glad the awakening business with Vika is over. We don't need this as a distraction with what's coming."

"So you aren't furious with me?"

"Oh no, I am. Which is why you will be punished. Get on your knees."

I slid down his hard body to my knees where I accepted my punishment and enjoyed every moment of it. Dimitri knew this of course but the truth was he could never be mad at me for what happened. Viktoria was one of us now and it was time to go to war.

* * *

 **Lissa has been coronated,**

 **Viktoria has been awakened,**

 **Stephan is a stalker psycho,**

 **and Rose and Dimitri are about to go to war!**

 **Ah, all is right with the world and setting up for an epic battle as well as the end of Black Roses _(sheds a tear)_**

 **Hope you all enjoyed it and I can't wait to post the finally!**

 **Thanks again for reading and reviewing!**

 **~SL**


	20. Chapter 20

**You asked for it and here it is. The final chapter of Black Roses. Thank you to all who posted the amazing reviews this story has received over the last year it took to write. You are all amazing to me. Especially those who responded to my holding the story hostage lol. More of an Author's Note at the bottom. So here I give you the conclusion to Black Roses.**

* * *

Rose

Dimitri and I stood outside Viktoria's room waiting for Stephan. After Vika awoke Dimitri and I spoke long and hard with her about her relationship with the blond freak.

We saw the blur that was Stephan's approach. His red eyes were all light and excitement when he saw us waiting for him.

"My King, my Queen, what has she decided?"

"Ask her yourself." Dimitri answered Stephan and we both stepped away from the door giving him leave to enter.

The door hinges whined as Stephan pushed it open. Inside the room Viktoria sat at the window looking out at the training that went on below. Her long dark hair was down and fell in waives. It was softer now than before her awakening, I had brushed it myself to help her prepare for the first-time Stephan would see her post all the drama. Her already naturally pale skin was now almost stark white and nearly iridescent. She was beautiful, stunning even.

"Vika?" he said her name like a prayer.

She turned and smiled sweetly at him, her new fangs peaking from her lips as she said his in return, "Stephan…"

After a moment of silence, they ran into each other's arms. They kissed and groped at one another, gorging on their passion. Dimitri and I let them have their moment for as long as we could stand it before we became nauseated.

"I believe that is enough sister." Dimitri said breaking their rapture.

"Yes my King, I swear to you I will take care of Vika. She is my one true love and I will adore her with every drop of blood in my body."

"It is your choice Viktoria. Personally, I think you could do better." I told her rolling my eyes.

Viktoria smiled from her place at Stephan's side. "I know you do Rose, and I know what I want." She said turning to Stephan and touching his face tenderly.

"We will be together always my love." Stephan said. His expression one so affectionate, he could almost pass for human. The sound of meat being torn through permeated the room followed by the scent of blood. Stephan stood frozen as Viktoria held up a red circular object that was dripping red. His expression melted away as he realized she had torn out his heart.

"What I want, what I need is a real man. Not a damaged sniveling excuse of a Strigoi with dead mommy issues and date a rape fetish. Sorry lover, but I'm doing you a favor. You are already dead inside," Stephan's body thumped as it dropped. "…And you will not take me with you into that darkness."

Dimitri and I smiled with pride as Vika turned to us and knelt.

"My King, my Queen, being that I killed your general, I offer my services as your second."

"Arise, we believe there is none better suited sister. Now go tell Stephan's former team they report to you know. Bring his heart with you. Any who refuse to follow you, make them eat it." Dimitri kissed his sister's cheek and she left. Finally alone, my husband turned to me only to smirk at my I told you so glare.

"Go ahead, say it." He said

"Hm, I could but it would be so much more fun to just punish you now."

"And how exactly may I make amends to my Queen?" Dimitri askes crossing the space between us.

"Well my King, you made me get on my knees. I think it only prober that you return the fav..."

Before I could finish the word, Dimitri, using his Strigoi speed dropped down and pulled out the back of my knees. I fell to the bed with a laugh and he tore off my leather pants in one fluid motion. "I rejoice in kneeling before my Queen, any man who does not feel the same for his woman doesn't deserve the air in his lungs." Dimitri buried his face between my legs and I felt unadulterated ecstasy. It was becoming more and more obvious how badly we needed each other. There was a growing dependency between us that we both felt, but with everything going on, hadn't had the time to address. In Dimitri's thoughts, I could see the burning he felt whenever I was out of reach. In mine, I knew he could read the aching that consumed me each time we broke contact. It was like we were becoming one organism. One whole being rather than just two halves of a whole.

Thanks to my husband's masterful skill with my lady parts I orgasmed 3 times in less than 10 minutes. He kissed my inner thighs before sitting back on his haunches and looking down at me triumphantly. "Have I earned your forgiveness my Queen?" he asked smugly.

"That and then some my King." I sat up and reached for his face. Bringing his lips to mine, we kissed deeply. I could taste my pleasure on his lips and tongue. "What is happening to us?" Now that we had 5 seconds to ourselves I had to ask. He knew exactly what I was referring to and exhaled, eyes closed, as I massaged his scalp with my nails. He loved when I did that.

"I don't know Roza. I feel like I need to touch you every moment of every day. When I don't feel your skin against mine I scorch. It's like this power we have begins to eat me alive when you are not near me."

"For me it's an aching. Like my bones start grinding against each other." I've asked Sidney about it but she says it must be more of the prophecy coming into play.

"How is the alchemist?" He asked.

"I've sent her with Tanya's team to Romania. She will help them infiltrate the town surrounding the castle. The final trucks will be here in an hour to bring the chosen trainees."

"Such a joke how much of a tourist trap the place has become. Dracula must be spinning in his grave."

"Good thing we plan to put the old man at ease." I said smiling, still nude from the waist down. "Speaking of the Dracula, I have a gift for you."

"Do you?" He asked amused. "How exactly have you managed to keep that from me?" he asked indicating our bond.

"Same way you had to ask about Sidney. You've been busy and I may have locked you out of it."

"Rose…"

"What kind of wife would I be if I couldn't surprise my husband occasionally?"

"Are you going to make me guess?"

I unlocked my mind to the memory of the gift I had procured for my husband. It was an epic artifact That I knew he absolutely had to have.

"You didn't Roza!" He said thrilled.

"Yeah, I did."

"How did you find it?"

"One of the Moroi trainees spilled it that his father had bought it off the black market. I told him he'd get special consideration if he brought it as an offering."

"Oh my Roza, you shouldn't have." He winked."

"But you are so glad that I did."

Lissa

Standing on the safe side of a two-way mirror was killing me. The strange character that was Robert Doru had been handcuffed to the table before him and did nothing but speak nonsense in between demands to see his brother. One of my guardians questioned him but was getting nowhere.

"This is pointless." I said not taking my eyes off the glass.

"If you would permit me your majesty, I would be glad to put some of my baser techniques to good use." Abe, who stood at my right, said through clinched teeth.

"The man was held captive by Strigoi for over a year, I doubt there is any pain you may inflict on him that will get us along any further. Just look at him. He's like a child stuck in a man's body. His mind is broken."

"What do you suggest Lis?" asked Christian.

"I want to talk to him myself." I told my companions.

"Absolutely not Lissa, his guy is dangerous." Christian exclaimed.

I turned to him slightly outraged. "Queen, remember? I'm going in." I knocked on the glass and the guardian who'd been questioning Robert opened the door. "Leave us." I told him.

"My Queen," he began to protest.

"I said leave us."

When the door was shut, I turned to the man-child and gazed upon him with scrutiny. He was the first to speak.

"Queen Tatiana! You look great! Found a way to age backwards?" he laughed and kicked his feet in a very toddler like fashion.

"I know you know very well that I am not Tatiana. You know what happened to her don't you?"

He went quiet "Yes I know. You're a little girl. You're not gonna last long. They're gonna get you"

"Who is going to get me?"

"They, the all-powerful THEY! They will get you and they will hurt you. They will hurt you like they hurt me. But you won't get out like I did." He shook his head.

"Why did they want to hurt you Robert?"

"I want my brother."

"Yes you've said that several times. I am a woman of my word you will see your brother when I get the information I'm after."

He began to rock back and forth. "I don't wanna talk to you. You make me sad because I know they will get you and you will die."

"If not me, then someone who will hurt you again. Now answer me, why did the Strigoi want to hurt you?"

"Because I can do everything! I can move mountains, I can change the course of rivers, I can set fire to air and I can blow the fire out! I can feel and taste pain. I can bring people back from the brink of death, everyone, all people! I can do it all and that want to do terrible things with it all!" he shouted and dropped his head in his hands, sobbing.

I was stunned, "You're a Spirit user?"

He nodded with his head still down. "You are too. I can feel it." Robert rose his head and looked back at me. "They will get you too."

"What do the Strigoi want with Spirit users?"

"We can do things other Moroi can't. that makes us special and they want to do what we can do."

I remembered Rose and Dimitri's show of force at the demonstration. They were able to manipulate the elements. "They already can." I said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

Robert's face changed. "If they can then we need to run. There will be no stopping them. All we can do is hide."

"No, I will not hide. What are they planning?"

"They hate us. They want to destroy us. The one that got me wanted to be a Queen too. They are tired of living in the shadows. They don't want to be the things that go bump in the night anymore. They want to rule the world."

"But how Robert? You have to tell me how."

"No, I wanna go home. I want my brother. I can keep him safe. I can hide him." He was retreating I had to do something or I'd lose him and with Robert went all my information. Not caring about safety or protocol I went around to his side of the desk and grabbed onto the sides of his face. I looked hard into his eyes so he couldn't look away.

"No Robert. You cannot hide your brother or keep him safe. I found you remember? And if I can find you, they can find you. Your only hope of saving your brother is to help me stop them. Now what are they planning?"

Robert was quiet, stunned by my actions. Then he uttered one word "Bran…"

"The castle? What do they want with a relic?"

"Bran still holds power. Figurative power and literal power. They will take the castle and destroy us all."

"Castle Bran is one of the most well-guarded historical monuments in our society coming second only to the Royal Court. They will never get to it."

"You don't understand, they're already there."

Dimitri

The mountain base of Castel Bran

Sunset

This was the moment that would define our lives for eternity. The remaining 574 soldiers we had stood before me. The fallen 21 had all perished in their own ways. Nine had died during training, 1 had been killed by my sister only for her to take his place and 12 who just did not make the cut were compelled to sit and burn to death as we blew up the manor. It would only be a matter of time before the location was discovered once we left it behind and we could not afford any evidence to be found of our plans or of how Rose and I acquired the power he had now. All the valuables had been shipped to secure locations for safe keeping and in batched we had sent our solders to Romania hidden in sun proof cargo trucks. There would be no going back to Novosibirsk, success or failure. As the cargo trucks that brought us to Transylvania drove away, we admired the blaze of the grand mansion we called home for over a year and said goodbye.

Upon our arrival we hid in the caverns of the Carpathian mountains until it was time.

Now here we were, ready to grab our destiny by the balls. I looked to those who had followed us here. In between them were wooden posts that had been sharpened to points. Our insurance policy that if we threw anyone off the wall, there would be absolutely no getting back up to fight again or run off and tattletale what they had lived through. If they fell, they'd meet with the long forgotten art of impalement. "My people," I addressed the mass. "This structure is the backbone of the Moroi strong hold in this continent. By sunrise, we will call it home!" they cheered.

"All of you, no matter if you were once Dhampir, Moroi or human knows what it is like to be oppressed. To be held to a standard you never asked to be held to or forced into a life that told you who were supposed to be. That dictated your worth. Today you are all the same. You are all members of the same race who will rise and shout to the powers that be, FUCK YOU!" More cheering.

"Tonight we will upsurge and as one, we will honor those who came and fought the battels before us, and in that glorious tradition we will storm the mother fucking castle!" I grabbed the broadsword at my hip, the marvelous gift from my Roza. I unsheathed it and held it high. It was a truly magnanimous object. The hilt was pewter with two dragons swirling around the grip. At the pummel was a massive red jewel. It was the sword of Vlad Dracula himself, long thought to have been destroyed or lost in time. But thanks to my amazing wife It had been found in the possession of some overly wealthy Moroi who's used it as a bedroom decoration. I would bring it home. I looked at Rose who shouted and cheered at my side, bloodlust and carnage in her eyes.

I turned and faced the mountain we were ready. "You all know your orders, no drinking. Anything you see that isn't a Strigoi you kill and keep going. If I see any of you stopping for a snack I will take your head off myself. You will have plenty of time to glutton yourself of precious blood. But not tonight. Tonight we reign! To your positions!"

The army broke into their assigned stations as my battalion and I began out assent to the top of the mountain and the castle wall. Rose and her brigade took the main road to the front. Through her eyes I could see her and the soldiers with her blitzkrieg every living they saw. I saw her run and jump on one Dhampir's shoulders, take his head and flip over him, decapitating him in midair. My team and I reached the top of the bastion, observing the guardians in their battel against my bride and her soldiers. Rose had not yet reached the front gate but was clearly giving them hell. They scrambled like roaches to save their precious castle and its guests.

"Close the gate!" The guardians yelled

"How the hell did they get past the wards?!" yelled another.

"Get the Moroi sublevel now!"

The fools had no idea that their pointless wards completely disintegrated at our very presence. Our power was enough to negate them just be us getting close enough. Half of the solders with me jumped down into the courtyard totally scaring the piss out of the guardians who had been focused on protecting the castle against frontward attack. The other half followed me inside the main bastion also known as the gunpowder tower. Once inside we ran full speed trampling any opposing body. I loved feeling their necks snap in my hands before I moved on to my next victim. I could feel Rose's adrenaline pump into me as mine pumped into her. We were unstoppable. I came upon a heavy oak door inlaid with iron doornails and bars. I paused to sniff the air and knew this was where the guardians had stashed the Moroi.

"We will break down the door for you my King." My solder Maxim said at my side.

"No need Maxim." I put my hand on the lock seeing in my head the inside mechanism. Once I could see, I influenced the pins with a twist of my wrist. The lock opened and the door creaked as I pushed it. Inside were 11 Moroi, all of them with official position in the royal court 3 of whom were council members.

"Well, look what we have here." I said "You all remember what I told you about not drinking?"

"Yes my King," They all responded.

"Good, you 5…" I pointed to 5 of my solders, "…stay with them, we'll eat them later. But those three" I indicated the 3 council members. "Them you will keep alive and un-fed from. The rest of you come with me. Your Queen needs help on the exterior."

We turned and left the prisoners, returning to the battle above. That was when I felt the familiar burning, the constant burn whenever Roza was away from me, only this time it had intensified. The solders ran ahead of me and the burning blinded me. I reached for Rose through our bond and could feel that amidst the death surrounding her, her aching had exaggerated and she was reaching for me as well. We needed each other. I looked down to steady myself only to see that I was hard. The excruciating scald was emanating from my hardness. Noting the incongruity, I reached for Rose and sensed she too was aroused, painfully so.

' _Roza,'_ I called her name through our bond

' _Dimitri,'_ she called back to me.

' _I need you my love. We must come together to make the pain stop, now.'_ I told her. We were on opposite sides of this massive intricate castle but we needed to get to each other that very moment. I tried to dematerialize to her side but could not. The pain was too severe; I could not concentrate. Knowing it would be the same for Rose I reached out to her again. _'Use the bond Roza. We will have to find each other another way.'_ She snapped the neck of a guardian and ran through a doorway that she felt would lead to me. I too ran in what felt like her direction. We were navigating this castle based purely on instinct.

Like two being living in the same body we felt each other's kills as we made our war through corridors, narrow tunnels, hallways. The painful arousal was getting worse. I almost could not see straight.

I opened the door to what looked like a council room. A painting of Vlad Dracula was positioned above the fireplace. I was compelled to stop and observe at the portrait for a moment. I could hear a whisper in my head that didn't belong to Rose. The disembodied voice said _"Stay…"_ The portrait's eyes bore into mine and I was paralyzed. _"She will come to you…"_ It spoke to me again. "Who are you?" I asked aloud. _"I am he...who is to come…father…"_

I wanted to ask the voice more but my attention was stolen by the sound of another door in the room being thrown open. There she was, my wife, my Queen, The love of my life. She was covered in the blood of her victims as was I. We ran into one another's arms. I wrapped her legs around my waist and her mouth devoured mine. All thoughts of the ethereal voice forgotten. Turning and placing her on the old wooden table, I pulled off my shirt and she hers. I grabbed at her body like she was my addiction. It was as though we needed to make love or we would detonate. That was when it hit me, we were in heat. I pulled back from her delicious mouth and looked at her. She had never been more beautiful or more fierce. I swallowed and touched her face. "The prophecy…" I said.

"This is it isn't it?" she asked breathless. "We've won. And now it's time..."

"Time to conceive our son." I finished her sentence.

"I love you Dimitri."

"I love you too Roza."

Conscious of this newfangled circumstance, we shredded each other's remaining clothing and wasted no time with playfulness. I thrust into her heat and thought I might implode right then, we shouted at the pleasure of both the joining of our bodies and the relief as the paid we had both felt dissipated. Our shouts however were drowned out by the screams that stemmed from the prey of our solders. My thrusts were hard and forceful. I felt like couldn't get deep enough inside her. Rose's nails dug into my shoulders drawing blood.

"Drink from me Dimitri!" she shouted.

I did as she bid and fed from her lovely vain. Rose did the same from me as her hips met mine upon my every thrust. Our fangs and loins made us one. A beautiful bloody monster. I began my release as my Roza's sex squeezed my manhood with all it's might milking me dry as I spilled into her. The orgasm shattered us from the inside out. At that moment, still inside her, I could feel my seed taking root in my beloved's womb.

"You can feel it too, can't you?" She asked

I nodded my head and lowered my face to my Roza's womb and kissed it tenderly. If I still possessed the ability to cry, my tears would bedeck her skin along with my kisses. I spoke the first words to my son in my native tongue.

"Окрепнуть моего ребенка, для вас мы дадим дар мира. _Владимир_ "

 _(Grow strong my child, for you we will give the gift of the world. Vladimir)_

THE END

* * *

 **I hope it was not a disappointment to anyone I really put everything I have into this story from beginning to end. thank you to everyone how understood the point of view I went for here and screw you to those who said the story was too dark... even if you were right lol.**

 **Before you go off and try to hunt me down for leaving the story before the birth of little Vladimir don't worry! Keep your eyes pealed for the sequel:**

 **"Blood & Stone" **

**Set to be written once I finish my Suicide Squad story "The Road to Hell"**

 **See you then and stay evil!**

 **~SL**


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